EU foreign ministers formally agreed on Monday to prolong until January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements the Ukraine peace accords, officials said. Russia responded that the sanctions were "unjustified and unlawful".

The 28-nation EU bloc initially imposed travel bans and asset freezes against Russian and Ukrainian figures for their part in the crisis, but then reacted sharply after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July over territory held by pro-Moscow rebels.

Brussels hit Russia's banking, oil and defense sectors hard and, along with the United States, has warned more sanctions could follow unless Moscow lives up to its Minsk commitments in February to withdraw support for the rebels and use its influence to implement the accord.