MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected 1,179 doping samples of Russian athletes last month or over 30% more compared to January, RUSADA Deputy Director Margarita Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Tuesday.

"RUSADA doping control officers organized 1,042 doping tests in February collecting 1,179 samples," Pakhnotskaya said in an interview with TASS.

"A total of 389 doping tests were held in February during the in-competition period and 653 more during the out-of-competition period," she added.

In January this year, RUSADA organized 789 doping tests collecting 825 samples (blood and urine), which was over 30% less compared to February figures.

RUSADA Director General Yury Ganus told TASS earlier that the national anti-doping agency planned to collect this year 11,000 doping samples and to increase this figure to 13,000 in 2020. The increase in the number of doping samples is planned to be achieved by the cost reduction in logistics and more effective work’s organization.

According to a report on RUSADA’s work in 2017-2018, delievered by Ganus earlier in the week at the annual session of the iNADO (Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations) in Lausanne, agency’s doping control inspectors collected a total of 14,693 doping samples over the previous two years (6,196 in 2017 and 8,497 in 2018).

The RUSADA received 98 applications for the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) permits in 2017 and 101 applications in 2018.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency initiated 145 cases in 2018 regarding the violations of anti-doping rules. In 2017, the agency opened 57 cases on the same violations and closed 52 of them.

A total of 98 violations by athletes of availability rules were registered in 2017 compared to 263 cases in 2018.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency also organized 155 educational events in 2017 with the participation of 9,320 people. In 2018, the agency held 169 educational events, which involved 9,784 people.