Oh don't worry, I read it. Pro-western outlets like Kyiv Post reported that story, while at the same time failing to produce evidence that the referendums were unpopular after all.

1. The Donbass region is largely pro-Russian, and is ethnically Russian.

2. The Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics have been fighting Kyiv for a decade

3. Kyiv has been shelling Donetsk and Luhansk for a decade.

All of these are not only widely reported in non-western media, but also acknowledged by western media as well. It's something the west and non-west can agree on, which means you rejecting it is akin to conspiracy theory.