Security beefed up in Ukraine ahead of presidential poll

, May 21: Ahead of Sunday's presidential election in the country,

has deployed tens of thousands of police and volunteers to maintain public order, an interior ministry official said on Tuesday.

"The Interior Ministry is taking targeted steps to ensure safety of civilians and members of election commissions," Xinhua quoted Andriy Chaly, head of the interior ministry's Department for Mass Public Events, as saying in a press conference.

Around 55,700 police forces and 20,000 volunteers would be mobilised to guarantee security during the voting across Ukraine, he said.

Extra security measures would be taken in the country's eastern Donesk and Lugansk regions, which had plunged into chaos following anti-government protests , he added.

Ukraine's presidential election is set to take place despite waves of violence and political instability in the country's eastern regions, where government forces have launched bouts of offensive against pro-Russia activists to regain control.

IANS