The UK has suspended military cooperation with Russia following Moscow’s decision to incorporate Crimea as its constituent part.

      Earlier, Russia-IC reported that nine Russian soldiers have been expelled from Canada following a spat between the two countries over the Ukraine crisis.

      According to Canada’s CTV News, the soldiers taking part in military exercises were informed Thursday afternoon that they had 24 hours to leave Canada.

      “Six of the soldiers were in Saint-Jean, Que., where they were learning English and French. Another two soldiers were participating in a training program at 5 CDSB Gagetown, and the ninth soldier was teaching Canadian soldiers Russian in Gatineau, Que,” read the report by CTV News.

      Earlier, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that all planned bilateral activities between the Canadian Armed Forces and the Russian military of the Russian Federation were suspended, including exercises such as NORAD's Exercise Vigilant Eagle.

      The EU and the US have imposed a raft of economic sanctions on Russian officials. US sanctions target seven Russian government officials — presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, presidential advisor Sergey Glazyev, head of State Duma’s CIS committee Leonid Slutsky, head of the Federation Council’s Constitutional Legislation committee Andrey Klishas, speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin and head of State Duma’s committee for the affairs of family, women and children Yelena Mizulina.

      The list also includes four Ukrainians, including the country’s former president Viktor Yanukovich, former chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk, and Crimea’s newly-elected leader Sergey Aksyonov and head of the republic’s legislature Vladimir Konstantinov.

      The US is expected to freeze their assets and impose a visa ban.

      The EU’s list includes Sergey Aksyonov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Rustam Temirgaliev, Deniz Berezovsky, Aleksei Chaly, Pyotr Zima, Yury Zherebtsov, Sergey Tsekov, Viktor Ozerov, Vladimir Dzhabarov, Andrei Klishas, Nikolai Ryzhkov, Evgeni Bushmin, Aleksandr Totoonov, Oleg Panteleev, Sergei Mironov, Sergei Zheleznyak, Leonid Slutski, Aleksandr Vitko, Anatoliy Sidorov, Aleksandr Galkin.