Canada undoing years of progress by abruptly expelling soldiers, Russian official says

Ottawa's decision to boot a handful of Russian soldiers out of Canada over their country's actions in Ukraine isn't going over well in Moscow.

CTV News reported the government informed nine Russian military personnel who were in Canada on training programs that they had 24 hours to leave the country.

The order was part of the Conservative government's broader response to the intervention of Russian forces in post-revolutionary Ukraine, including the occupation of Crimea on the pretext of protecting its Russian-speaking majority.

The government earlier this week suspended all bilateral activities between the Canadian and Russian military, including this summer's Exercise Vigilant Eagle, which has been held annually since 2009 involving the Canadian, U.S. and Russian air forces.

[ Related: Canada to send observers to Ukraine mission for Crimea ]

The Russian soldiers in Canada included six studying English and French in Saint-Jean, Que., two undergoing training at the 5th Canadian Division Support Base at Gagetown, N.B., and one teaching Canadian soldiers to speak Russian in Gatineau, Que., CTV News said.

The move got a swift and negative reaction from the Russian government.

Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters in Moscow that Canada is destroying positive ties with Russia by expelling its personnel, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

"It has not come as a surprise for us," Antonov said, noting Ottawa's move a few days earlier to suspend bilateral defence contacts.

Canada seems to be trying to be a leader among Western countries in taking steps against Russia, he said.

The expulsion order was unceremonious and roughly handled, destroying everything positive that had been achieved with difficulty in the last few years, Antonov said, according to ITAR-TASS.

"We would like to note that we need military co-operation with Canada to the same extent as it needs co-operation with us," he said. "It was not 'charity' on the part of Ottawa with regard to military exchanges."

[ Related: Delisle spy case: Defence challenges how bad damage really was ]

Although the Cold War ended more than 20 years ago, it doesn't take much to dredge it up.

The Canadian intelligence community reeled after learning naval officer Jeffrey Delisle, who worked at the HMCS Trinity intelligence centre in Halifax, was selling top secret data shared by Canada and its allies to the Russians.

Ottawa responded by reportedly expelling two Russian diplomats, including its defence attache, and two technical staff working at its embassy, the Globe and Mail reported. The case chilled Russia-Canada relations.

The government was also outspoken about Russia's harsh new anti-gay legislation, joining other Western countries in declining to send high-level delegations to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Canadians got in the act last summer with a boycott of Russian vodka. It was pretty short-lived, though. I mean, even at the height of the Cold War, you could still order a Stoli.