MOSCOW, November 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russian soldiers will continue to receive free cigarettes from military warehouses for two more years, a Defense Ministry official said on Saturday.

The ministry earlier announced that it would scrap the practice of supplying free cigarettes to service personnel.

However, supplies chief Andrei Zezin told the Moscow-based Ekho Mosvky station that the handouts would go on until stocks were exhausted.

"Realistically, we can provide service personnel with free cigarettes for another two years," he said. "While we have them at the warehouse, we will hand them out."

He also said that after the cigarettes had run out, soldiers would have to find the cash themselves to support their nicotine habits.

"Everyone has the right to decide if he wants to ruin his health or not," Zezin said. "But when reserves run out, they'll have to do it with their own money."

A parliamentary committee recently concluded that around 40% of all Russian adults smoke. The figure goes up to around 65% for men. Around 300,000 Russians die every year from smoking-related diseases.