KIEV, July 12 - Popular support has been growing for a bloc of parties loyal to pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko ahead of the Sept. 30 snap election, according to an opinion poll published on Thursday.

The bloc, known as Our Ukraine-People's Self-defense, increased support to 16.9%, now matching the rating of another pro-Western bloc, the group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the poll showed.