Ukraine's separatist Luhansk, Donetsk regions to vote on joining Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions will hold referendums on joining Russia on Sept. 23-27, representatives of the separatist regions said on Tuesday.

"The referendum on the issue of joining the Luhansk People's Republic to the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation will be held from Sept. 23 to 27," Denis Miroshnichenko, speaker of the People's Council of the Luhansk People's Republic, the parliament established by pro-Russian protesters in April 2014, said on Telegram.

In a separate statement, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said a referendum in Donetsk regions on joining Russia will take place on the same dates, Sept. 23-27.

On Monday, public chambers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk regions urged the heads of the separatist administrations to immediately organize a vote on the entry of the Donbas territories into Russia.