Russia to expel four Canadian diplomats: Ottawa

OTTAWA: Russia will expel four Canadian diplomats in retaliation for Ottawa's similar move earlier this week over the poisoning of a former double agent in England, the Canadian government said Friday.

Canada on Monday ordered the expulsion of four Russian diplomats and denied credentials for three others in the spy row.

"We can confirm that four Canadian diplomats have been declared person non grata by the Russian government," said Adam Austen, spokesman for Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The Canadian ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry Friday and notified of the expulsion measures.

In a show of solidarity with Britain, a number of Western countries have expelled Russian diplomats since the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian officer who sold secrets to Britain and moved there in a 2010 spy swap, which took place on March 4.

Canada issued a deportation notice against a member of Russian's embassy in Ottawa and three employees of the consulate in Montreal, giving them until next Thursday to leave.