Pro-Russian rebels claimed a massive turnout in a vote they held Sunday to split east Ukraine into two independent republics, though Kiev slammed it as a "farce" amid Western fears it could lead to civil war.
Thousands of people queued in front of a limited number of polling stations in the restive provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk to cast their ballots, AFP journalists in several towns reported.
"I want to be independent from everyone," said ex-factory worker Nikolai Cherepin as he voted yes in the town of Mariupol, in Donetsk province. "Yugoslavia broke up and they live well now".
Insurgent leaders asserted that more than 70 percent of the electorate in the two regions -- home to seven million of Ukraine's total population of 46 million -- had slid voting slips into transparent ballot boxes.
There was no way to verify that assertion however. No independent observers were monitoring the vote, which took place in the absence of any international support -- even from Moscow, which had urged it be postponed.
No violent incidents were reported during polling, but tensions remained high amid an ongoing military operation ordered by Kiev against the rebels.
Early Sunday, an isolated clash occurred on the outskirts of the flashpoint town of Slavyansk as militants tried to recapture a TV tower, but polling in the centre was unaffected.
Roman Lyaguin, the head of Donetsk's self-styled electoral commission, told reporters that voter turnout across the province was 70 percent four hours before polls were to close at 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). Lugansk's rebels put their province's turnout at more than 75 percent.
Lyaguin added that results would not be in until Monday, but already appeared confident that the outcome would be in favour of independence. After the results, he said, "there will likely be a period of negotiation with the authorities in Kiev".
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