Russia bans entry to 87 Canadians, Foreign Ministry says

Moscow has banned entry to 87 Canadian nationals as a retaliatory measure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"In response to the sanctions that the regime of Canadian [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau keeps imposing on Russia, targeting government officials at all levels, including at the regional level, as well as journalists, cultural figures and common Russians whom Ottawa finds unsuitable for some reason, Russia has banned entry to 87 Canadian citizens. Those include the heads of provinces and territories, military officers, the top managers of companies providing weapons and dual-use technologies to the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, as well as activists from pro-Bandera organizations," the statement reads.

The document, published on the Foreign Ministry’s website, contains a blacklist of the Canadians in question. "Since Canada’s sanctions list is highly likely to be expanded, Russia will blacklist more Canadian nationals. We act based on the principle of reciprocity," the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.