Anti-corruption groups have derided the announced move from a country frequently ranked as one of the most corrupt in the world.

Legislative amendments drafted by Russia’s Justice Ministry state that, “in certain circumstances”, complying with anti-corruption laws “is impossible for objective reasons”.

However, the bill does not offer any examples of the “exceptional circumstances” in question, The Moscow Times reports.

Ilya Shumanov, deputy head of Transparency International Russia, told Vedomosti: “There’s not a single rational explanation for the use of exceptional circumstances when an official couldn’t declare a conflict of interest.”