EU agrees to extend Russia sanctions

European Union leaders yesterday agreed at a summit to extend punishing economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for a further six months, the bloc said. The EU first imposed the sanctions in July 2014 after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014 was shot down over Ukraine, killing 298 people, an attack blamed by the EU on pro-Russian rebels. The sanctions target whole sectors of the Russian economy including its valuable oil businesses.