Heads of Donbass 'People's Republics' to Retain Posts after Poll

Alexandеr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy, leaders of the Donetsk ad Luhansk "People's Republics" in Ukraine's east, are to remain leaders of the rebel-controlled entities after the regions held presidential and general elections Sunday.

Partial count cited by Russian and Ukrainian media outlets suggest they get over 70 and 60 percent, respectively.

The EU and the US have condemned the poll, refusing to accept its results. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said late on Sunday the elections were "illegal and illegitimate" and would put an obstacle on the way to peace in Ukraine. Mogherini urged Donbass to hold a vote under Ukrainian law.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has also described the vote as a "farce [carried out] under the barrels of tanks and machine guns". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called it a "violation" of the Minsk agreement which Ukraine struck with Donbass rebels to end bloodshed.

But the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has announced it would accept the results.

In a statement on the institution's website it said it "respects the will of the citizens of Southeast Ukraine. The elected representatives have received a mandate to restore the normal life in Donetsk and Luhansk."

It urged "steps toward the establishment of sustainable dialogue between central Ukrainian authorities in line with the arrangements reached in Minsk".

Russia however stopped short of recognizing the "republics" as having full authority.

Donbass activists refused to hold the parliamentary elections which took place on October 26 in Ukraine, vowing to elect their own representatives.