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Electoral workers empty a ballot box to start counting ballots for the leadership vote in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic at a polling station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on November 2, 2014. The vote in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic was condemned by Kiev and the West, but backed by Russia, billed as bringing a degree of legitimacy to pro-Russian authorities already in control of the two main rebel-held cities. Alexander Zakharchenko, prime minister of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, won a crushing victory in the controversial election on November 2, according to an exit poll conducted by the insurgents. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF