EU countries have agreed to extend sanctions related to Ukraine against more than 2,500 Russian citizens and organizations, including President Vladimir Putin, for another six months, diplomats said.

Ambassadors from the bloc's 27 member states approved the decision before Monday's deadline after Hungary and Slovakia withdrew their requests to remove a number of individuals from the blacklist, diplomats who wished to remain anonymous said.

"We have just extended our sanctions against Russia," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas wrote on Twitter, quoted by AFP.

She said Brussels was currently finalizing work on a new package of sanctions, "considering additional restrictions on Russian oil sales, shady oil tankers, and banks."

"We will continue to stop the money for Putin's war," Kallas added.

The sanctions, which must be renewed every six months, would have expired next week if no agreement had been reached.

Extending them since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is usually a routine procedure, but Moscow-friendly Hungary has regularly insisted on removing certain individuals from the list.

The latest extension comes at a time when US President Donald Trump's peace efforts have been blocked by the Kremlin.

Tensions escalated after NATO aircraft shot down Russian drones over EU member Poland this week. | BGNES