Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday approved a bill which will allow the authorities to list foreign media operating in Russia as "foreign agents", responding to U.S. restrictions on two Russian media outlets, RIA news agency reported.

Last week the "foreign agents law" was swiftly approved by the lower chamber of the legislature. It now needs President Vladimir Putin's signature to become law.

The move by the compliant parliament heavily dominated by Putin's loyalists comes after his threat this month that Russia would respond in kind to what he said were Washington's measures to restrict the freedom of speech of Russian media organizations operating on U.S. soil.