21:11 GMT – AFP IS NOW CLOSING THIS LIVE REPORT as pro-Russian rebels claim a massive turnout for a vote to split off east Ukraine into two independent republics.
Kiev and the West have dismissed the referendum as a “farce” organised by Russia that could worsen the violence wracking the ex-Soviet nation.
The vote rounded out a chaotic day in east Ukraine, where separatist leaders had earlier snubbed a plea from Russian leader Vladimir Putin to postpone the poll.
The separatist leader in Donetsk also issued a chilling warning to Kiev, warning the interim government that once the referendum results are announced then all Ukrainian troops in the region will be considered as “occupying forces”.
21:01 GMT – Turnout at 75% – Donetsk was one of two regions holding referendums on independence that Kiev have slammed as a “farce” but Lyagin seems pleased with the election.
“Turnout was just under 75 percent,” he tells reporters.
“We are announcing the results immediately after we received them ourselves,” the rebel says.
“It turned out to be extremely easy to count the votes as the number of people who voted against was extremely low and the number of spoiled ballots was low,” he adds.
There was no immediate word on results from Lugansk, where polls closed slightly later.
20:37 GMT – Vote for independence – Pro-Russian rebels in the Donetsk region say 89 percent of voters cast ballots in favour of independence, with only 10 percent voting for a unified Ukraine.
“These can be considered the final results,” Roman Lyagin, the head of Donetsk’s self-styled electoral commission, tells reporters shortly after polling stations closed.
20:37 GMT – DONETSK REGION VOTES 89% IN FAVOUR OF INDEPENDENCE – DONETSK REGION VOTES 89% IN FAVOUR OF INDEPENDENCE
20:36 GMT – Civil war – Pushilin blames the United States for the current turmoil in Ukraine.
“I am a sound-minded person and I can’t say anything positive about the death of another person. Of course it’s bad and it shouldn’t happen in a civilised world,” he tells AFP.
“What we have is a civil war. The citizens of Ukraine are killing each other, Slavonic people kill Slavonic people. This is what the US did and it seems to be beneficial to them,” he says.
“We act in the name of our ancestors who died in World War II and we act in the name of our children and grand children. We have a unique situation, the first time in the history of Ukraine we have a people’s referendum and we are going to create the first people’s government, coming from the people and working for the people.”
20:34 GMT – No dialogue with Kiev – Rebel chief Pushilin is in a defiant mood while speaking to AFP outside the regional administrative building in Donetsk.
“We are not going to have any dialogue with Kiev since these people are not humans. They are killing people. There is nothing to talk about,” he tells AFP’s Joe Sinclair.
“This is what we fought for, for the majority to decide the destiny of the region and we achieved that goal,” he adds.
20:16 GMT – High turnout – The pro-Russian rebels put voter turnout at over 70 percent in the two provinces voting for self-rule: Donetsk and Lugansk, home to seven million of Ukraine’s total population of 45 million.
The poll results are expected to be announced on May 12, but Denis Pushilin — the rebel chief of the self-styled People’s Republic of Donetsk — tells reporters that voters were supportive of making the two regions sovereign republics.
“Turnout was better than we expected,” he says.
“Thanks to this referendum, we will be able to decide our own future,” he adds.
20:03 GMT – Polling stations close in Lugansk – Polling stations across the Lugansk region closed their doors at 2300 (2000 GMT), according to a report by Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency
19:57 GMT – Foreign occupants? – Polling stations have closed in Donetsk, but the separatists are in a triumphant mood, reports AFP’s Marion Thibaut.
The polls have closed early but Denis Pushilin — the self-proclaimed co-president of the republic of Donetsk — is holding court in the main square, happily answering questions from reporters.
“The turnout was even better than expected,” he announces. “After the referendum, we will have to start removing all the foreign occupants in our country,” he says, referring to Ukrainian soldiers still loyal to Kiev.
“Through this referendum we will be able to decide our future,” he adds.
19:54 GMT – Landslide poll victory? – AFP’s Agnes Bun is at one of the counts in Slavjansk and reports that one local election official is suggesting that nearly 98 percent voted “yes” in the referendum.
Holding the results from one polling station, Irina Markina triumphantly says the results from one polling station showed that 1,505 voted yes and 23 voted no.
“The results that we have suggest it is like that at other polling stations,” she adds.
19:52 GMT – Explosions in Slavjansk – AFP’s Bertrand de Saisset is in Slavjansk and reports hearing loud explosions outside the town.
Meanwhile, inside the town hall, local election official Viatcheslav Ponomarev says voter turnout was 80%.
“We are happy [with the turnout]” she says before adding that the separatists need just three days to hold a second referendum, this time on union with Russia.
“In three days you can hold any other election with minimal expenses,” she adds.
19:33 GMT – Smashed equipment – Chaotic scenes in Krasnoarmisk where AFP’s Max Delany reports that armed men in camouflage are now blocking the entrance to the district and regional administration buildings in the town square.
“Armed men turned up in six minivans, they seized the buildings and broke up the referendum,” says local resident Iya Yatsyna. “They came and stopped the voting”.
There were apparently some six or seven polling stations in town but they were broken up and equipment taken away, she said.
Two Ukrainian armoured vehicles are also guarding a checkpoint on the outskirts of the town on the main road leading to Donetsk.
19:25 GMT – Anti-ballot stuffing measures – Many Western commentators have been shocked by the widespread use of the transparent ballot boxes, but most Ukrainians are quick to dismiss any notion that they are a sign of voting irregularity.
“It is the norm in Ukraine, and many locals believe it helps increase transparency and prevent ballot stuffing,” says AFP’s Richard Carter.
19:04 GMT – Carefree mood in Kiev – AFP’s Richard Carter is in central Kiev and says there is absolutely no sign of the tension and chaos gripping the east of the country.
“A happy crowd is picking its way through the barricades and tents still dotted around the Maidan (Independence Square), as they enjoy a warm spring evening,” he adds.
18:58 GMT – Polling stations close in Donetsk – AFP’s Marion Thibaut reports several polls have already closed their doors and are refusing to let foreign reporters observe the count in Donetsk.
18:47 GMT – Prolonged poll – Polling stations in the three major cities in the Luhansk Region will stay open until 2300 local time (2000 GMT).
“The work of the polling stations in Stakhanov, Pervomaysk and Alchevsk will be prolonged until 2300 by a separate decision of the central electoral commission, at the request of steel makers and miners,” Nikitin tells the Interfax news agency.
18:46 GMT – Diplomacy not war! – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has ruled out going to war with Russia over Ukraine, but warns the European Union will tighten the screw and impose tougher sanctions if the Kremlin tries to undermine the May 25 presidential vote.
“We cannot accept the annexation or the fact that Ukraine would be controlled or invaded,” Fabius says in an interview published with The Washington Post.
“On the other hand, we should not go to war with Russia. In between, you have diplomacy and sanctions to exert pressure.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has seemed to be one step ahead of the West and Fabius admits the EU and US are still struggling to get a grasp on his future intentions in Ukraine.
“It is difficult to know exactly what he has in mind,” Fabius tells the Post.
“But we have to be clear what we have in mind. It is clear that the annexation of Crimea is unacceptable. You cannot accept that one country annexes another.”
18:41 GMT – Poll sabotage? – Not all the residents in Svatone approve of the pro-Kiev sentiments and a small group of 15 people march towards the town hall carrying a large transparent container they wanted to use as a ballot box.
“Why can’t we vote? It’s sabotage. There isn’t a single polling station here,” complains Natalia, a 36-year-old housewife.
Rybalko says the residents do not understand the implications of the referendum.
“They just don’t want to know. The district of Svatove gets 80 percent of its money from the state. Without money from Kiev, we couldn’t exist. But people don’t want to know that,” the mayor sighs.
18:30 GMT – Tanks and gunshots – Tanks and Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly blocking the passage of 500 villagers in Baranikovka, East Ukrainian Army press secretary Vasily Nikitin tells the Interfax news agency.
“I heard gunshots over the phone. I know that there are two people injured,” he tells the Russian news agency
18:28 GMT – Hunting weapons – Back in Svatove, the town has managed to stand up to the pro-Russian rebels by organising a militia of some 500 volunteers armed with hunting weapons.
“The majority of the people in the region around Svatove want a united Ukraine and are opposed to separatism. Those who have joined our self-defence operation are patriots who wanted to be able to defend themselves against armed men coming from outside,” Rybalko says.
Svatone residents can count on the support of the local police who remain loyal to the authorities in Kiev.
“At first, the 80 officers from the local police force weren’t enough to secure the barricades. It was the self-defence groups that stepped up, alongside the police,” says Yulia Krassy, a 36-year-old local journalist and pro-Kiev activist.
18:26 GMT – EU coordinates response – The European Union is holding a firm line on the “so-called” referendum and has refused to recognise the results.
“The so-called referenda in the parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions were illegal and we do not recognise the outcome,” said Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy Catherine Ashton.
“Those who organised the referenda have no democratic legitimacy, and their organisation runs counter to the objective of the Joint Geneva Statement to de-escalate tensions,” Kocijancic said.
EU Council president Herman Van Rompuy will fly out to Ukraine on Monday, for crisis talks with the interim government in Kiev.
European Union foreign ministers will meanwhile descend on Brussels to thrash out a coordinated response to the worse crisis in Europe since the Cold War.
18:13 GMT – A brave refusnik – The Ukrainian flag still flutters proudly over Svatove, which is the only town in eastern Ukraine which is not holding rebel-held independence “referendums”.
With some 20,000 inhabitants the small town, which is just 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the Russian border, is making a defiant stand against the pro-Russian rebels.
The town’s 48-year-old mayor, Evgeny Rybalko, tells AFP he is ready to defy threats from armed thugs.
“My duty is to respect Ukrainian law. The people must be able to express their opinion in a legal framework. That is not the case for this ‘referendum’,” says Rybalko, who took office in 2010.
18:10 GMT – Injuries – The first reports of poll violence are starting to trickle through from the Lugansk region where two villagers were reportedly injured when they tried to prevent armed men in armoured vehicles from storming a polling station in Borodinovka, according to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti, who are quoting Vassily Nikitin — the press secretary of the East Ukrainian Army.
18:00 GMT – ‘Bad joke’ – Gerard Araud (@GerardAraud), France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, has just tweeted this: . Let’s not give an undeserved importance to the “vote” in eastern Ukraine. It is a joke but a very bad one.”
17:56 GMT – Diplomacy – Following Putin’s attempt to stop the vote, Western leaders seem unsure what action to take against him now, with a presidential election due in Ukraine on May 25.
EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy is due in Kiev Monday while EU foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels to discuss the issue amid signs of splits between nations on what steps to take.
Ukraine’s prime minister and members of his government visit Brussels for talks Tuesday.
17:54 GMT – ‘It will be better’ – Those voting in favour of independence said they hoped for a better future with Russia.
Tatiana, a 35-year-old florist in Donetsk, said: “If we’re independent, it will be hard at the beginning but it will be better than being with the fascists.”
Separatists and Russian state media frequently describe Ukraine’s Western-backed government as “fascist”.
Another Donetsk resident, post-graduate student Yaroslav, said: “I know many people who were strongly anti-Russian but after what happened in Ukraine with the slaughter of people, with what happened in Odessa, a lot of them changed their position to pro-Russian.”
17:44 GMT – Early indicators – Only five percent of people voted against independence in Lugansk region, according to the leader of the Popular Front there, Alexei Chmilenko.
In the “People’s Republic of Donetsk”, turnout was over 71 percent at 8pm, reports the RIA Novosti news agency, citing the coordinator of the central electoral commission there, Boris Litvinov.
17:35 GMT – Transparent ballot boxes – Marion Thibaut in Donetsk reports that ballot boxes are transparent and the vote slips are not put in envelopes so it is easy to see how people voted.
This is the same arrangement as was in place for the referendum on Crimea breaking away from Ukraine which took place in March.
Despite a large majority in favour, that vote was widely condemned.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the poll illegitimate and refusing to recognize Russia’s annexation of the peninsula.
17:24 GMT – Shakhtar take title – As the vote took place Sunday, Shakhtar Donetsk won their ninth Ukrainian football title with a 3-1 win over Zorya Lugansk.
But there was no-one watching for the players to celebrate with.
Shakhtar — one of the biggest names in Ukrainian football and owned by billionaire businessman Rinat Akhmetov — were forced to play the game at a neutral venue behind closed doors.
The decision was taken after violent incidents around league matches on April 27 at Kharkiv and on May 2 in Odessa where dozens were killed and injured.
17:18 GMT – Wiretap? – AFP’s Marc Burleigh tells us: “A few days ago, Ukraine’s SBU security service made public an impossible-to-confirm recording of what it said was a wiretap between a Donetsk rebel leader named Dmytro Boitsov and a Moscow-based political operative named Aleksandr Barkashov.
“In the unauthenticated recording, the man purported to be Barkashov brushes aside the logistical difficulties inherent in Sunday’s vote and declares: “Let’s say that 89 percent voted for the Donetsk Republic and that’s it.”
17:14 GMT – Polling station – AFP’s Marion Thibaut is at a polling station in Donetsk where the number of voters is tailing off at the end of the day, although there are still some coming through.
Oleg, 35, came to vote after work and says: “We would like to like in Ukraine but only if the government takes account of our opinions.”
He adds: “If it’s the Ukraine we’ve had for some time, well, then it would be better to live in Russia.”
17:09 GMT – Results – Rebel leaders in the east say they expect to give results on Monday.
A press conference has been called in the regional hub of Donetsk for 2030 GMT tonight — but it is not yet known what information this will contain.
17:04 GMT – Closing times – Some confusion about when the polls will actually close.
In Donetsk region, they are due to shut at 1900 GMT but it is unclear whether it will happen at the same time in Lugansk.
In Slavyansk, meanwhile, the polling booths closed at 1700 GMT.
17:03 GMT – ‘Fake’ – Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt reflects the extreme scepticism among Western governments about the reliability of this election.
“Figures from fake referendums in Eastern Ukraine likely to be fake. No way of knowing even turnout,” he tweets @carlbildt.
16:57 GMT – Donetsk turnout – “According to preliminary information, around 80 percent of voters on our lists took part in the vote,” the secretary of the electoral commission of the city of Donetsk, Tatiana Orlenko, tells Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
16:55 GMT – Question – Voters are being asked quite simply if they “approve of independence” for what pro-Russians term the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the province of Lugansk.
There are no up-to-date electoral rolls, so whoever turns up is registered to vote, Burleigh tells us.
The total population of the two provinces is 7.3 million out of 45.5 million for the whole of Ukraine.
16:46 GMT – Monitoring – It is going to be very hard to tell for sure how many people have actually taken part in this referendum.
No independent observers are monitoring the poll and it took place without any international support.
Even Russia urged that the poll be postponed last week in a surprise move. President Vladimir Putin called on separatists to delay “in order to create the conditions necessary for dialogue.”
Analysts are split on the significance of that move but agree it is too early to talk of a serious U-turn over Ukraine from Russia, which has also annexed Crimea.
16:44 GMT – Turnout – AFP’s Marc Burleigh, reporting on this story from Kiev, writes on Twitter (@marcburleigh): “So the rebels in east Ukraine are claiming turnout is more than 70% in their independence vote. Anecdotally seems improbable.”
16:36 GMT – WELCOME TO AFP’s LIVE REPORT on the vote on splitting east Ukraine into two independent republics.
Thousands have been voting in the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk on the issue of self-rule in a poll organised by pro-Russian rebels.
However, the ballot has been criticised by Kiev as a “criminal farce” backed by Moscow, while Western governments supporting Ukraine have termed it illegal.
There are also fears this could be the latest step towards a possible civil war and break-up of Ukraine.
The ex-Soviet republic has been riven by instability in the south and east since its Kremlin-backed former president was ousted by pro-Europeans in February.
Stay with us to find out how this story develops.