The referendum is scheduled to be held in two to four weeks after the Oct. 18 local elections, said the news agency.
The ballot papers for the referendum designed in the colors of the Russian flag have already been printed, it said.
Neither the rebel leadership nor the Ukrainian authorities have commented on the report yet.
In July, leaders of pro-independence insurgents in Donetsk region said they would hold local elections on Oct. 18 without Kiev's supervision as they believed that the Ukrainian government has not fulfilled its obligations under the Minsk peace agreement .... http://news.xinhuanet.com
