DONETSK, Ukraine
Denis Pushilin, one of the leaders of self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, said on Saturday in Donetsk that his group will extend the region's borders.
"New Russia will not remain limited to Donetsk and Lugansk," Pushilin said in Lenin Square during a rally called "No Election.. The country's presidential election, scheduled for Sunday, was protested during the rally.
"Our brothers in Odessa, Mykolaiv and Melitopol are waiting to join our republic", Pushilin said.
Oleg Tsarev, who withdrew from Ukraine's presidential race, thanked everyone who made an effort to establish the Donetsk People's Republic.
The region of Donetsk declared independence from Ukraine after holding a "self-rule" referendum May 11 organized by pro-Russian separatists. The Ukrainian government and Western nations have refused to recognize the results of the referendum.
The country’s rebellious Donetsk and Lugansk regions -- where heavily-armed, pro-Russia militants have fortified themselves in dozens of the regions’ cities -- have seen increasingly intense fighting as Ukrainian troops attempt to restore federal authority in areas held by separatist forces.
aa.com.tr/en
