East Ukraine Separatists Refuse to Postpone Referendum

The pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine did not heed Russia's President Vladimir Putin advice to postpone the referendum for independence, reports Interfax. 

It is supposed to take place this Sunday in the so-called “Donetsk People's Republic” and the neighboring “Luhansk People's Republic” in Eastern Ukraine. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said, that notwithstanding the eventual postponement of the referendum, the anti-terrorist operation against the separatists in the region will continue. 

At the same time the co-chair of the government of the “Donetsk People's Republic” Miroslav Rodenko said the pro-Russian squads are not planning to lay their weapons and negotiate, because “too many people had died”. He also said he does not see how or why the upcoming elections for president of Ukraine are going to happen in the region. “I don't see among the candidates anyone who could represent Donbas and the south east.”