MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Russia’s national postal operator Russian Post will need more than 0.5 trillion rubles ($7.7 bln), according to preliminary estimates, to acquire the equipment required for implementation of the package of anti-terrorist bills (the so-called ‘Yarovaya package’ initiated by lower house member Irina Yarovaya and upper house member Viktor Ozerov) signed by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, a representative of the company told TASS Friday.

The ‘Yarovaya package’ obliges postal operators to install X-ray TV and radioscopic equipment, metal locators, gas analytical and chemical apparatus starting July 1, 2018, in a move to prevent efforts to send weapons, explosives and other prohibited articles by post.

"In case it is necessary to install new equipment in all 42,000 post offices it will require both special-purpose equipment and skilled persons. According to preliminary estimates, this equipment will cost at least 500 bln rubles to Russian Post," the representative said.

Also, the company will need another 100 bln rubles ($1.5 bln) for annual services and wages to provide control over postal items’ reception, the source added.

"The relevance of the law aimed at enhancing efforts to fight terrorism requires more detailed studying and awareness of both the amount of real financial costs and their sources so that its enforcement would not affect the efficiency of postal services, which have always been and will remain the country’s basic social infrastructure," the representative of the company said.