Russia has never had a state-sponsored doping program, according to president Vladimir Putin.
The claim follows a call by the association of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) for a temporary blanket ban on Russia from international sport.
"In Russia, we never had, don't have, and I hope won't have a state-sponsored doping program. On the contrary, there will only be a fight against doping," said Putin, in televised remarks on Wednesday during a visit to the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
Putin said there had however been individual instances of sports doping in Russia in the past, which he said showed the current system wasn't working. A new doping control system was being put together, he said.
NADOs in January called for a blanket ban on Russia from all international sport until the country could demonstrate it had installed and embraced a credible anti-doping system.
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