MOSCOW (REUTERS) - Russia expelled a first secretary at the Canadian embassy in Moscow on Tuesday in what it said was a response to Canada's earlier expulsion of a Russian assistant military attache, Russian news agencies quoted a foreign ministry source as saying.

"On April 22, the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow was informed of the expulsion from the Russian Federation, within 14 days, of the first secretary of the embassy," Itar-Tass quoted a ministry source as saying.

"This step was taken in response to the recent expulsion from Ottawa of an assistant Russian military attache."