DONETSK, Ukraine, May 11-- Some 89.07 percent of voters in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region cast ballots in favor of independence in Sunday's referendum, said the electoral commission of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

The turnout for the referendum was 74.87 percent, and some 10.1 percent voted against independence, Roman Lyagin, head of the commission, said late Sunday.

"These can be considered as the final results," said Lyagin.

Donetsk was one of two regions holding referendums on independence from Ukraine. The results from the other region, Lugansk, where polls closed slightly later, have not been announced yet.

People were asked on the ballot: "Do you support the act of state-rule of the Donetsk (Lugansk) People's Republic?"

Ukrainian authorities and some Western countries denounced the controversial referendums as "illegal."

Donetsk and Lugansk regions became centers of the eastern protests in mid-April, when activists waving Russian flags seized government buildings, declared separatist republics and announced plans to hold a referendum on seceding from Ukraine.