E.Ukraine election 'counterproductive': UN chief

VIENNA - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the elections in eastern Ukraine last Sunday was "an unfortunate and counterproductive development".

"The quote and unquote elections in the eastern part of the country this past Sunday are an unfortunate and counterproductive development," Ban said in his remarks to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.

A ceasefire agreement in Ukraine was reached on Sept. 5. However, Kiev warns the rebels violate the agreement by conducting the elections without the Ukrainian government's permission.

Ukraine and the West have been accusing Moscow of backing the rebels in Eastern Ukraine, an allegation Russia denies.

Western states imposed sanctions on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis which Moscow strongly opposes and imposed some retaliatory sanctions on Western states as well.