Syrian bombings costing Russia $4m a day, say analysts

Syrian bombings: The bombing campaign in Syria is costing Moscow up to $4m per day, according to data collated for the The Moscow Times by the Jane’s think tank which calculates  that the bombing raids, supply runs, infrastructure and ground personnel — along with a salvo of cruise missiles fired into the conflict zone — have cost Russia between $80m and $115m  since strikes began on September 30.
Although that is negligible in the context of Russia’s annual $50bn defence budget, analysts are warning that the conflict in Syria could drag on for years, and if soldiers die, Russian involvement could dramatically escalate.
Some 36 Russian warplanes and 20 attack helicopters have flown around 40 sorties each  day for the past three weeks, according to the Defense Ministry.
Each warplane costs $12,000 per hour to fly, and each helicopter $3,000 per hour, according to IHS. With the tempo of bombing runs keeping the planes in the sky for 90 minutes a day on average and helicopters  flying one hour per day, Moscow is spending around $710,000 every 24 hours, it says.  The military personnel cost around $440,000 per day to support, IHS estimates. Keeping the ships in the Mediterranean requires a further $200,000. Other supporting costs, such as logistics, intelligence gathering, communications and engineering, add $250,000 per day.