A documentary broadcast by German television station ZDF/ARD featured an undercover video of what it said were Russian athletes and coaches admitting to covering up positive doping tests.
The three-person WADA commission, which will begin its investigation in January, will be chaired by the organisation's former president Dick Pound and will also include lawyer Richard McLaren.
"WADA is pleased that Mr. Richard Pound and Professor Richard McLaren have agreed to look into the grave doping allegations that came to light through the recent German television broadcasts," WADA president Craig Readie said in a statement.
"The Independent Commission has the vital task of reviewing the allegations aired during the documentaries, as well as all other information received separately by WADA, to determine if there have been any violations to anti-doping rules."
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) welcomed the investigation into what it described as "serious" doping allegations.
“The IAAF takes this opportunity to reiterate its full support of the WADA investigation,” IAAF President Lamine Diack said in a statement.
"Our primary concern must always be to protect the integrity of competition in support of the vast majority of clean athletes, and we look forward to working with WADA to this end.”
(Reporting by Ed Osmond; editing by Justin Palmer)
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