The European Council said that the decision was taken unanimously over alleged "incomplete implementation" of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Comment: Suitably warped reasoning when it's Ukraine that has consistently violated the Minsk agreements: Under fire from a Western-backed Ukraine: The people of the DPR share their stories
The extension comes despite the ongoing talks between Moscow and Kiev to settle the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier suggested reviewing the Minsk accords, requiring Kiev to alter its constitution and grant "special status" to the mainly Russian-speaking Donbass region. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the idea alarming, saying that there is nothing "except the Minsk agreement." "If we revisit this we are at a dead end," he said at a news conference on Thursday.
The punitive measures targeting Russia were initially introduced by the EU on 31 July 2014 over the events in Ukraine, and have been repeatedly extended and expanded since then. Moscow has responded with counter-sanctions, banning a number of European products.
Comment: See also: 4-month countdown to NATO's largest exercise in 25 years, Normandy Four meeting, and another false-flag in Syria?