KYIV: Kremlin-held regions of eastern and southern Ukraine entered the second day of voting to become part of Russia on Saturday, in referendums dismissed as a "sham" by US President Joe Biden.
The voting on whether Russia should annex four regions of Ukraine started on Friday, dramatically raising the stakes seven months after Moscow's troops invaded.
The same day polling got under way, UN and Ukrainian officials revealed what they said was more evidence of Russian "war crimes" -- including executions and torture.
"Russia's referenda are a sham -- a false pretext to try to annex parts of Ukraine by force in flagrant violation of international law," Biden said.
"We will work with our allies and partners to impose additional swift and severe economic costs on Russia."
It even prompted a reaction from Beijing, Moscow's closest ally since the war began in February.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi -- in comments made to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba at the UN General Assembly Friday -- said the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected".
Ukrainian forces said they were clawing back territory from Moscow-backed separatists in the very lands Russia wants to assimilate.
Voting is being held in Russian-controlled areas of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.
Authorities there are going door-to-door for four days to collect votes. Polling stations then open on Tuesday for residents to cast ballots on the final day.
It was also possible to vote at the building in Moscow that represents the Donetsk breakaway region.
Leonid, a 59-year-old military official, said he was "feeling happy".
"Ultimately, things are moving towards the restoration of the Soviet Union. The referendum is one step towards this."
The vote was announced earlier this week after a Ukrainian counteroffensive seized most of the northeastern Kharkiv region -- bringing hundreds of settlements back under Kyiv's control after months of Russian occupation.
The four regions' integration into Russia would represent a major escalation of the conflict as Moscow would consider any military move there as an attack on its own territory.
The referendums are reminiscent of the one held after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday denounced the polls.
"The world will react absolutely justly to the sham referenda," he said, describing them as "crimes against international law and the law of Ukraine". Earlier on Friday, G7 nations said the polls will "never" be recognised and have "no legal effect or legitimacy". - AFP
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