Donetsk, Sep 23 — DAN. Voter turnout on the first day of the Donetsk People’s Republic referendum on joining Russia has exceeded 23 percent, DPR Central Election Commission chairman Vladimir Vysotsky said on Friday.
Earlier in the day, voting in the referendum began in the liberated areas of Ukraine. It will continue till September 27. Four days have been allocated for voting in public space of residential areas and one day at polling stations. The fourth and fifth days of the referendum are days off in the DPR.
Voting in public space will be held from 8:00 to 20:00. The Republic has prepared more than 450 polling places and over 1.5 million voting papers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier said that Russia would support the decisions of residents of Donbass and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions on their future which would be made at the referenda.*jk