Separatist militants in two regions of eastern Ukraine declared their right to split from the central government in Kiev after a hastily organized plebiscite on May 11. Though there were no clear voting rules or professional observers at the ballot, its pro-Russian organizers claimed a turnout of more than 80%, with some 90% voting in favor of "self-determination." Kiev tried hard to stop the vote from proceeding, even sending military units to block polling stations by force, leading to the deaths of at least two unarmed civilians during clashes in the town of Kras-noarmeysk. But the condemnations from Kiev and from Ukraine's allies in the U.S. and Europe did not stop the separatists from celebrating victory. If their legitimacy had previously derived only from the barrel of a gun, they can now point to a referendum of sorts in making their claim for independence.
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