The European Union has agreed to prolong for 6 months a raft of sanctions aimed at depriving Russia of funds to finance its war against Ukraine.

The European Union renewed its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia on Monday for another six months after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for assurances about energy security. "Europe delivers: EU Foreign Ministers just agreed to extend again the sanctions on Russia,

As the EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia by another six months, the Russian Defence Ministry has said its forces captured the east Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, a key defensive hub for the Ukrainian army.