DONETSK, Ukraine – Ignoring warnings from government officials in Kiev, pro-Russia separatists held a referendum on Sunday in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, allowing voters to choose “self-rule.”
Leaders of the Kiev government labeled the vote a "criminal farce" organized by Russia, and said ballot papers in the separatist regions were “soaked in blood.”
The voting in Donetsk seemed quite disorganized; I saw huge lines in neighborhoods with only one voting precinct, but in others, there were barely any lines at all.
Election workers also appeared to be careless about the rules, giving ballots to people who said they forgot their passports, or allowing people to vote a second time on behalf of sick relatives.
It looked like mostly everyone who showed up at the polling stations were voting in favor of self-rule.
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Evgeny Feldman is a staff photographer for the Russian publication Novaya Gazeta.