(Reuters) – Russia is advising citizens to avoid travel to Canada, citing what it calls numerous cases of discrimination against Russians, including physical violence, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Canada is one of the most vocal backers of Ukraine in the war against Moscow’s forces and has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian officials and companies as well as wide-scale trade bans.

“Due to the numerous instances of discrimination against Russian citizens … in Canada, including physical violence, we recommend you refrain from traveling to this country for the purposes of tourism, education, and in the context of business relations,” the Russian foreign ministry said in an advisory.

“If you are already in Canada, we urge you to be vigilant, especially in public places.”

The advisory, dated April 20, was posted on the ministry’s main Telegram channel on Saturday. The Canadian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Shortly after the war started last year, Canada advised citizens to avoid all travel to Russia.

Russia last week imposed sanctions on 333 Canadian officials and public figures, including prominent Olympians, in what it said was a tit-for-tat response to Canadian restrictions on Moscow and support for Ukraine.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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