The International Paralympic Committee has announced that Russia's para-athletes will still be allowed to compete at the Rio Paralympics this summer.
The IAAF last week upheld its decision to ban Russian track and field athletes from the Olympic Games this summer following allegations of state-sponsored doping.
However, the Russian Paralympic Committee is separate to the suspended All-Russia Athletics Federation and will therefore be permitted to compete in Brazil.
"The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) would like to clarify that Friday's (June 17) IAAF decision does not affect the participation of Russian Para athletics team at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games," read a statement from the IPC.
"The Russian Para athletics team train as part of the Russian Paralympic Committee and have no association with the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF). Since the allegations were first made regarding ARAF, the IPC has been in dialogue with the Russian Paralympic Committee to establish what relationship and interactions, if any, they have with ARAF.
"Currently there is no evidence that the anti-doping issues within ARAF extend to the Russian Paralympic Committee or Russian Para athletics team. Last month, the IPC wrote to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the current Independent Commission chaired by Richard McLaren to verify whether any of the current allegations regarding Russia extend to Para sport and Para athletes.
"To try and ensure all athletes are competing in a clean environment at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the IPC has doubled the budget for pre-Paralympic testing to ensure greater focus on certain countries and territories."
Russia won 19 golds and 36 medals overall in athletics at the London 2012 Games, putting them second in the medals table behind only China.
This summer's Paralympics will take place between September 7 and September 18.
Barney Corkhill
