The Foreign Ministry of Russia has barred the entry to the country to a number of Ukrainian politicians.

According to the information posted at the official web site of the Russia`s foreign ministry, the decision to impose entry restrictions on Ukrainian politicians was made on Thursday in retaliation for Kyiv`s ban on Moscow`s mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

The ministry immediately banned Ukraine`s first deputy justice minister Yevhen Korniychuk.

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"Regarding Ukraine`s decision to ban Moscow`s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov from entering Ukraine, Russia`s Foreign Ministry reports that the Russian side has been forced to take adequate measures against those Ukrainian politicians who damage the Russian Federation by action or word," the ministry`s statement said, according to Reuters.

Earlier this month, Ukraine banned Luzhkov from the country after he called for Russia to take ownership of the Black Sea naval port of Sevastopol, which belongs to Ukraine.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Evhen Kornichuk, deputy justice minister of Ukraine, had made an insulting statement about Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

"Given what he said in public we suppose that Evhen Kornichuk has no plans to travel to Russia," Nesterenko said, according to Reuters.

On May 19 Ye.Korniychuk said to “Seychas” newspaper that it would be logical to raise issue of announcing Vladimir Putin persona non-grata in Ukraine.