The US added 71 companies from Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to the sanctions list

(This material was created in Gdansk for the Reuters news service in Russia, where regulations limit coverage of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine)

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) – The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday expanded its blacklist of merchants targeted for supporting Russia under new sanctions against Moscow.

The measures concern 69 Russian organisations, one registered in Armenia and one in Kyrgyzstan.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced tightening export controls and extending them to oil and gas projects in Russia and Belarus, as well as to aircraft repair and spare parts companies, gunpowder factories, tractor and car factories, shipyards and engineering plants of in Russia.

The original message in English is available at the code: (Karen Freifeld and Susan Heavey)