Russia is not planning to block Alphabet Inc's video-hosting platform YouTube, the Interfax news agency cited Maksut Shadaev, minister of digital development, communications and mass media, as saying on Tuesday.

Russia has threatened YouTube for months over its failure to delete content that Moscow deems illegal and for restricting access to some Russian media, but an absence of suitable domestic alternatives has suggested that YouTube may avoid the fate of some other foreign social media platforms.

Alphabet's Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

  - Reuters