The United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and the U.S. denounced the election held by rebels in eastern Ukraine but the separatists still pushed through with it on Sunday.

Residents of Donetsk and Luhanks, cities in eastern Ukraine dominated by pro-Russian separatists, on Sunday voted new legislators and executives for the region despite backlash from the international community. The UN, EU and the U.S. all say the polls went against Ukraine's constitution and the ceasefire deal inked in September, CBC News reported.

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In spite of the truce, violence continues to erupt between the Ukrainian government and the pro-Moscow separatists in the region. Ukraine maintains Russia is supplying the rebels with weapons and troops - an allegation that the latter has firmly denied.

The said rebels presently control half of eastern Ukraine. They held the elections in a bid to break away from Ukraine and establish their own government.

Despite the outcry from the international community, Russia showed support for the said elections.

On Sunday, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini described the polls as another "obstacle" in their efforts to establish peace in war-torn Ukraine.

"The vote is illegal and illegitimate," Mogherini said, "and the European Union will not recognize it."

Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko also dismissed the elections, calling them "pseudo-elections."

Meanwhile, Alexander Zakharchenko, the rebel leader who has taken control of the region since August, issued a statement on Sunday conveying hope that the elections would "bring peace" to eastern Ukraine. Should the international community recognize their government without incident, they will re-establish their economic relations with Ukraine, Zakharchenko vowed.

Zakharchenkop appeared to have a strong lead in the recent polls, based on a vote count in a Donetsk polling precinct. The number of voters who participated in the elections are yet to be determined, but rebel election commission head Roman Lyagin said there were 350 open polling stations and 1.4 million eligible voters on Sunday.

TagsUkraine, Ukrainian rebels, Donetsk, Ukraine election, Ukraine-Russia, Alexander Zakharchenko