By Staff, Agencies

The United States on Thursday added 71 Russian and Belarusian entities to its trade blacklist in its latest effort to deprive the Russian military of US technology and other items.

Washington's export restrictions are among a raft of new sanctions it imposed on Thursday in response to Russia's military operation in Ukraine, including prohibitions on additional Russian oligarchs and members of the country's elite.

They included 70 Russian companies and other entities, such as units of the Russian Academy of Sciences, several aircraft factories, as well as shipbuilding and research institutes.

The companies added include several aircraft plants and the Voronezh Joint Stock Aircraft Company, one of the largest Russian factories for passenger and cargo aircraft, according to several research reports.

Also added was the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, which manufactured nearly 7,000 aircraft of more than 20 types since 1934 and produces the MC-21 family of airliners.

In total, the Commerce Department added 322 entities to its economic blacklist for support of Russia’s military since February.

"The US and our international partners have put in place strong, sweeping restrictions on Russia’s ability to obtain the items and technologies it needs to sustain its military aggression," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez.

Of the 71, 66 were determined to be military end-users. Also added were the Ilyushin Aviation Complex Branch, the St. Petersburg Shipbuilding Institution, and the Special Research Bureau for Automation of Marine Researches Far East Branch Russian Academy of Sciences.