Voting has ended in Donetsk, but on a cold night few seem to have turned out for the party in the city's central square.
Russian Duma to 'definitely' interact with separatist "republics"
Frants Klintsevich, one of United Russia's leaders in the Duma says "the elections confirmed that the republics' leaders were in charge and legitimized them," according to Interfax. "We will definitely interact with them as we do with any legitimate government."
More from Poroshenko's statement, which can be found in Ukrainian here:
"The farce being conducted under the threat of tanks and guns by the two terrorist organizations in parts of Donbas is a terrible event that has nothing to do with real will.'
"All elections on Ukrainian territory where Ukrainian citizens are voting must take place exclusively under Ukrainian law," he said.
The Minsk agreement had called for devolved power and local provisional elections in separatist-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk "in accordance with the law of Ukraine."
Reporting on the ground from RT (Russia Today)
RT's Middle East bureau chief reporting from Donetsk:
Actual OSCE:
Separatists confirm video of man sentenced to death by "People's Court"
BBC's Russian Service reports that Ukraine separatists have confirmed the authenticity of a video released on October 29 that shows a crowd sentencing two men to death by a show of hands in a "people's court."
One of the two -- who were both apparently accused of rape -- decided to go to the front lines in the battle against Ukrainian troops so he could "die with honor," according to the BBC.