KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainians overwhelmingly backed several pro-Western parties in a landmark parliamentary election Sunday, another nudge in the former Soviet republic’s drift away from Russia.

Two exit polls released as voting closed indicated that President Petro Poroshenko’s party will secure a narrow win in the parliamentary election, falling substantially short of an outright majority. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Popular Front followed close behind.

Although they lead rival parties, Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk share pro-Western sentiments and have campaigned on reform agendas aimed at pulling Ukraine back from the brink of economic ruin. The parties are expected to join forces with other reform-oriented groups to form a broad pro-European coalition.

Talking to supporters at his party headquarters, a visibly ebullient Poroshenko said coalition talks will start Monday and will last no longer than 10 days.

Almost three million people were unable to vote in eastern regions still gripped with unrest as government troops continue to wage almost daily battle against pro-Russian separatists.

The vote on Sunday will substantially overhaul a legislature once dominated by loyalists of ousted former president Viktor Yanukovych.

“We are seeing a triumph of pro-European forces and a collapse among pro-Russian parties,” said Mikhailo Mischenko, an analyst with the Razumkov Center think tank. “Ukrainian people see their future in Europe, and this is something that all Ukrainians politicians will have to account for.”

The Rating Group Ukraine exit poll said the Poroshenko Bloc won 22.2 percent of the votes and that the Popular Front came in second with 21.8 percent.

Another exit poll, organized by three Ukrainian research groups, saw the Poroshenko Bloc with 23 percent of the vote and Popular Front at 21.3 percent. A recently formed pro-European party based in western Ukraine, Samopomich, was third in the poll with around 14 percent of the vote.

In an address published on the president’s website, Poroshenko said the authorities had received an unprecedented show of support from the Ukrainian people.

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