Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Ukraine

Marianna Tarassenko.

The list includes 400 physical and 100 legal entities from in Russia and elsewhere. It also includes two journalists operating in the Estonian Russian-language media – Den za Dnjom employees Marianna Tarassenko and Andrei Babin.

Against the persons in the list, both economic sanctions and other restrictions can be enforced. Ukrainian authorities say these people are responsible for "Criminal actions against the Ukrainian state."

No companies from Estonia were in the list.

Tarassenko is deputy chief of Postimees daily's Russian editorial staff, Babin is a contract employee there. Postimees issues the weekly newspaper Den za Dnjom.

Babin considers Ukrainian authorities' decision surprising. "I love Ukraine and I consider myself one of the most tolerant people in the world. If I'm not mistaken, last year I released one article on the Ukrainian events. There I criticized the actions of Ukrainian authorities. But criticism is, after all, part of a journalist's work," he said. He last visited Ukraine in 2004 and has relatives in Donetsk.

Tarassenko was also surprised finding her name from the list of sanctions. "I support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Including Ukraine. Thus, the formulation that is in the list that includes my name looks odd," she explained. She last visited Ukraine during the Soviet era and is not planning any trips there either – so it the entrance ban does not bother her really.