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MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Russian air strikes in Syria haven't put any strain on the government's budget.
Dmitry Peskov said in Friday's conference call with reporters that the Russian air campaign which began Sept. 30 hasn't required any additional financial allocations on top of the current Defense Ministry's budget.
Peskov didn't mention any specific figures, but he pointed at large-scale drills the Russian military has held recently, saying that the Syrian military operation doesn't stand out in terms of funds required.
He reaffirmed that Russia's goal is to "fight the Islamic State and other extremist terrorist groups, efforts that are ultimately aimed at preserving Syria as a single state."
He said again that Russia has no intention of getting involved in ground combat in Syria.
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