A depressing take/update from a friend of "The Economist's" Edward Lucas.
It's elections in Donetsk and Luhansk tomorrow. Here's a short wrap:
Authorities in Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions, both controlled by pro-Russian separatists, were preparing for elections that have already been widely condemned and characterized as illegitimate.
Luhansk was marking a "day of silence" of November 1, the eve of elections, with no campaigning allowed and workers already removing campaign posters.
Four people are running for the post of head of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic, including current leader Igor Plotnitsky, and three "social movements" are competing for seats in the "People's Council."
In Donetsk, election officials have canceled the "day of silence" and are allowing candidates to continue campaigning.
Three people, including the current leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko, are running for the top post in the Donetsk People's Republic, and two movements are competing for seats in the "People's Council."
Dozens of governments and the United Nations have already said they will not recognize the elections in these separatist regions.
Remember today is supposed to be the "Day of Quiet":
From our news desk, the UN's latest numbers on the casualties so far:
The United Nations says that more than 4,000 people have been killed in clashes in eastern Ukraine between the government forces and pro-Russian separatists.
The UN said in a report on October 31 that in more than six months of fighting there have been 4,035 certified deaths.
It added that some 300 people were killed just in the last 10 days despite a cease-fire agreed to in early September.
The truce has ended much of the fighting but casualties on both sides are reported daily, especially in clashes at the Donetsk airport, in villages near Luhansk, and in the south near the seaport of Mariupol.
The UN also said more than 930,000 people have been displaced from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions by the fighting.
About half sought refuge in neighboring countries, mainly Russia.
The DNR leaders are busy campaigning today.
It appears to be a pretty quiet night from Ukraine, news-wise, so we'll leave you with our wrap-up from the newsroom of events. That concludes our live blogging for Friday, October 31.
Poroshenko, EU Leaders Press Putin To Reject Rebel Votes
