Putin: Russia's Syria operation cost over $460 million

Baku. 17 March. REPORT.AZ/ Russia's military operation in Syria cost 33 billion rubles (roughly $464 million) from the Defense Ministry’s budget for military drills and training, President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin said Thursday, Report informs citing TASS.

"The military operation in Syria, of course, required certain spending but the main part was from Defense Ministry’s resources - around 33 billion rubles. [This sum] was included in the ministry’s 2015 budget for holding drills and military training. We just redirected these resources for supporting the group in Syria," Putin said.

"No one has invented a more effective way to perfect one’s military skills than in real combat actions. In this sense, military resources should better be used and spent in action than at the training range," the Russian leader added.

According to him, additional costs are required after the operation in Syria but they are justified in order not to pay a higher price in future.