Where does it say that the taxpayer will pay for the rescue?
We are not involved in their organisation therefore do not know the financial details of it.
In the text above, referrals are made as to 'the teams Iluyshin 76'. Perhaps therefore, they have covered the rescue costs themselves.
And in any case, who cares? It is a trivial amount compared to the enormous wastage this country goes through every day. There are much bigger spending problems to be sorted out.....this just becomes an issue because it appears that somebody wealthier than us is enjoying themselves doing something we would all love to do ourselves.