RUSSIA has reportedly threatened to block access to Google unless it bans news websites which knock leader Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin is piling intense pressure on internet companies to censor content it deems harmful to the Motherland.

The move comes after officials passed a law that required search engines to comply with the state registry of banned websites and omit certain content from search results.

While the registry does contain websites promoting hate speech it also includes many websites blacklisted for purely political reasons - including a critical Ukrainian news website.

Communications Oversight Agency chief Vitaly Subbotin said Russia may now push for amendments that would also block search engines like Google if they fail to comply, according to Russian news agencies.

The news comes as Google is getting heat about potentially launching a search engine in China from US lawmakers - over fears the country would also censor searches.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has previously said the tech company had “no plans to launch search in China.”

He said: “Right now, we have no plans to launch [a search product] in China,” adding that “getting access to information is an important human right.”

On Tuesday, Russia’s federal media censor fined Google for failing to comply with a law that requires online search engines to purge any hyperlinks to materials that are banned in Russia.

And just last week we reported how a remote Russian island sparked a military mystery after users discovered it is blocked out on Google Maps.