Viktor Ozerov, the chairman of the upper house's defense and security committee, said Russia is ranked 45th among UN member states in terms of the number of service personnel deployed on peacekeeping operations.
"This negatively affects Russia's authority on the international arena," he said at the opening of a session on Russia's involvement in peacekeeping operations.
Citing up-to-date information on the international situation, Ozerov said: "We should not forget that our peacekeepers' participation in international operations is not only a means of gaining experience and raising our country's authority but it also involves solid funding."
He said the participation by 115 Russian servicemen and four Mi-4 helicopters in an operation in Sierra Leone brought Russia over $34 million in 18 months, and that an operation in Sudan brought Russia over $13 million over the same period.
Ozerov also said Russian peacekeepers should have better social status.
Alexander Yakovenko, a deputy Russian foreign minister, said an adequate system to fund Russian service personnel should be established.
