In announcing it will contribute the additional amount each year to WADA, bringing its annual level of donation to to $1.1 million (£737,000/€850,000), the Russian Government predicted it would mean more Russians monitoring doping offences at the Sochi 2014 Games.

"The payment of a voluntary additional contribution to the WADA budget will make it possible to strengthen the position of the Russian Federation in WADA, including the expansion of Russian representation in the management and working bodies of the aforementioned organization, taking into account the upcoming XXII Olympic Winter Games," the Russian Government said in a website statement.

The Russian Government has donated an extra $300,000 a year to WADA ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games

However WADA's Director of Education and Programme Development Rob Koehler, speaking here at the Tackling Doping In Sport 2013 global summit, stressed that WADA was currently discussing how the extra money should be best used.

"It's a great thing," he told insidethegames.

"But one of the conditions we have with any funds that we are given by any organisation is that it's not tied to anything.

"So we have to make sure the conditions are right.

"No strings attached.

"For instance, we also received support from Japan, who gave us some extra money for programmes, but we don't have to tie it to a specific event."

Koehler's caution was echoed by Andy Parkinson, chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, who is also chair of WADA's Ad Hoc European Committee.

Parkinson, also speaking at the Conference here, told insidethegames: "There needs to be transparency around it, and what we deal with at WADA is transparency.

"The context around the Russian donation was a Council of Europe meeting which I chaired whereby the European representatives were very clear that they needed to have a zero growth budget in this current financial year - because there is not an awful lot of money in Europe.

"And the Russians kindly said, 'Look, we've got the Sochi Games coming up, it's important for Europe to continue to play its part, therefore here's a donation.'"

Parkinson denied that the donation would effectively gain Russia any more influence within WADA, which is responsible for Olympic drugs testing.

Andy Parkinson, chief executive of UK Anti-Doping and Chair of WADA's European Committee, said: "We want assurances that donations aren't buying certain favours."

"I don't think that's the case, and I haven't even heard that," he said.

"I think what we want is assurance that donations aren't buying certain favours.

"The transparency around the WADA agenda is not even up for question.

"It is presented to all constituent groups well in advance of meetings, it is discussed at the Executive Committee.

"I don't think that's an issue at all."

Koehler added: "The more money we have, the more things we can do.

"We are an organisation that is funded half by Governments and half by the Olympic Movement.  

"And basically we have funds that we are provided with and we have to make choices.

"Making those choices is sometimes hard, but I can tell you that we are an organisation that is extremely efficient for the resources that we have."

The extra payment is being financed by a corresponding cut in Russian contributions to the UNESCO Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport, which mostly finances anti-doping efforts in developing countries.

The past year has seen many high-profile doping cases involving Russian athletes.

London 2012 discus silver medalist Darya Pishchalnikova is provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, while track cyclist Viktoria Baranova was expelled from the Games for taking artificial testosterone, which she confessed to.

Last week, two Russian athletes - long jump silver medallist Tatyana Kotova and hammer gold medallist Olga Kuzenkova - were caught doping following retests of samples from the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.

After the findings were announced, British long jumper Jade Johnson said she felt Russia's anti-doping record was so bad that the country was unfit to host the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Moscow in August.

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