Over 100,000 ballots marked YES were found in a pro-Russian car in Donetsk Oblast. The Donetsk and Luhansk regions are holding a referendum on Sunday to declare independence from Ukraine and a government the pro-Russians labeled as fascist.
Pictures from Obozrevatal show boxes with a “Donetsk People’s Republic” patch and a St. George ribbon. The Kyiv Post also reports “a Kalashnikov rifle, Makarov pistol, plus ammunition were seized.” The pro-Russian forces took over 80 schools and forced them to host the referendum.
Mike Giglio from Buzzfeed reported there are a few polls open on Saturday night. The “Donetsk People’s Republic” previously said the referendum would be open 8AM to 10PM local time on May 11.
Me: “so did you vote today?” Pro-Russia activist in Donetsk: “yes, and I voted for you too.” … he was just kidding, I think.
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 10, 2014
Pro-Russia activist jokes that there is “special democracy” here in Donetsk and people can vote even without leaving their homes..
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 10, 2014
100k already filled in bulletins for tomorrow’s Donbass so-called referendum discovered in #Sloviansk pic.twitter.com/E8UDiQ5dPm
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) May 10, 2014
Ukraine and the West declared the referendum illegal and neither will recognize the vote. Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised everyone when he asked the pro-Russians to delay the referendum to allow more time for open discussions with Kyiv. The pro-Russians said no and the referendum will go as planned.
There is only one question on the ballot: “Do you support the act of state-reliance of the Donetsk People’s republic?”
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