© ReutersDespite continued attacks from assorted militias (very possibly including American mercenaries), people turned out in huge numbers across eastern Ukraine, now the independent republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Up to 89.7 percent of voters in a referendum on Sunday in Eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Region backed independence for the region, the head of the election committee said Monday.
"89.7 percent have voted 'yes,' while 10.19 voted 'against,' and 0.74 percent of the bulletins were deemed invalid. The number we mentioned yesterday coincide completely," Electoral Committee Head of the Donetsk People's Republic Roman Lyagin said.
According to the DPR Co-Chairman Denis Pushilin, the republic may now decide in the next few hours whether to remain part of Ukraine or secede.
On Sunday, residents in Ukraine's southeastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions held a self-rule referendum on the status of their respective regions.
The single question on the ballot read as follows: "Do you support the act of state self-determination of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics?"
Earlier it was reported that over 96 percent of Luhansk voters backed independence for the self-proclaimed republic.
The Kremlin said in a statement Monday it respected the will of the people in Ukraine's southeast and urged the regime in Kiev to do the same.
Comment: Donetsk has formally asked the Kremlin for accession into the Russian Federation... it's going to be an interesting week.