Iljukov, who was serving as an independent member of the Supervisory Board on the recommendation of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said the resignation could be considered "my protest against" the Russian military action.

RUSADA has been declared as non-compliant by WADA, and WADA sanctions imposed on it in response to the cover-up of a state-sponsored doping programme prevented Russia's name, flag or anthem featuring at the Tokyo 2020 or Beijing 2022 Olympic Games. 

"Just want to inform you that I decided to resign from RUSADA Asvisory [sic] Board where I served (on WADA recommendation) as an independant member since 2020", Iljukov wrote on Twitter.

"My decision is partially dictated by personal reasons but I cannot deny that situation in Ukraine affected my decision.

"Considering the importance of elite sports to current political system in Russia I experience that by acting in this position I inderectly serve the needs of those in power. 

"It ends here. 

"Let it be my protest against War actions in Ukraine."

Iljukov has worked in the anti-doping sphere in both Estonia and Finland previously.

Chair Natalia Dokolova, doctor Evgeny Achkasov, lawyer Evgeny Rashchevsky, Vladimir Chekhonin, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, plus Alexander Zamazy from the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Kirill Masliev from the European Medical Centre, complete the RUSADA Supervisory Board.

Having been subject to sanctions related to doping offences for several years, Russia now faces sporting sanctions of a different kind.

The International Olympic Committee has called for it to be stripped of all international sporting events, and for its flag to be banned from all such occasions. 

Russia was already supposed to be prohibited from staging major event such as World Championships for two years under the existing WADA sanctions, "unless it is legally or practically impossible" to move the tournaments, but this disclaimer has enabled it to host some major events.

Poland's men's football team are refusing to play Russia in FIFA World Cup qualifying, as calls grow for it to be expelled from international competitions.