PRIME ministers Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have won this weekend’s elections in the autonomous Ukrainian regions.

The polls were held in defiance of the Ukrainian government in Kiev and both eastern regions have indicated their desire for independence.

Mr Zakharchenko won 75 per cent of the votes, ahead of Aleksandr Kofman, deputy speaker of the Novorossiya Union parliament, and Yury Sivokonenko, a local Supreme Council MP.

Simultaneous parliamentary elections showed Mr Zakharchenko’s Donetsk Republic party leading the way with over 660,000 votes against just over 300,000 for the rival Svobodniy Donbass party.

Mr Plotnitsky attracted 63 per cent of the presidential vote in Lugansk, while his Peace to Lugansk Region movement gained nearly 70 per cent against 22 per cent for the Lugansk Economic Union.

Over 360 polling stations were open in Donetsk for three million potential voters on Sunday, compared with 102 polling stations for approximately 1.5 million voters in Lugansk.

Kiev insisted that it would not recognise the elections as they contradict Ukrainian legislation and its security service has opened a criminal case against the organisers of the elections.

New European Union foreign policy high representative Federica Mogherini also spoke out against the elections, arguing that they would be an obstacle to reconciliation in Ukraine.

“I consider today’s ‘presidential and parliamentary elections’ in Donetsk and Lugansk ‘People’s Republics’ a new obstacle on the path towards peace in Ukraine,” she said on Sunday.

“The vote is illegal and illegitimate, and the European Union will not recognise it.”

And Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: “I count on Russia not to recognise the so-called elections because they are a clear violation of the September 5 Minsk protocol, which was also signed by Russia’s representative.”

But Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Moscow “respects the expression of will” by the two regions.

It did not support outright independence for Donbass, declaring: “In view of the elections, it is extremely important to take active steps toward promoting sustained dialogue between central Ukrainian authorities and the representatives of the Donbass.”