Sergei Ivanov, Head of the Presidential Executive Office, hopes that the State Duma will soon examine and approve a presidential draft law which criminalises the poaching of rare animals.

In early March, President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma for consideration a draft law criminalising the poaching, capturing and selling of endangered animals listed in the Russian Red Data Book.

"I hope that the State Duma will in the near future examine and approve the presidential draft law. We will step up measures to protect all endangered animal species listed in the Red Data Book. In recognition of the seriousness of the situation, the Interior Minister has ordered the establishment of a specialised anti-poaching department at the Interior Ministry's Directorate for the Primorye Territory to investigate the entire corruption chain. We must take professional and serious measures to combat this," Ivanov said in an interview with Itogi magazine.