The demonstration of Russian military might during Vladimir Putin’s air campaign in Syria has increased interest from arms buyers and could result in several billion dollars in new sales, analysts and media have said.

US secretary of state John Kerry’s meeting with the Russian president in Moscow last week suggested that Russia has forced the west to takes its political interests into account. But its arms exports, which totalled $15bn (£10.5bn) in 2015, have historically trailed only those of the US, also stand to benefit.

Kommersant newspaper reported on Monday that the “marketing effect” from the Syrian campaign could lead to contracts worth $6bn-$7bn, quoting sources in the Russian government, military and arms export structures. Algeria, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Pakistan, which has long purchased military aircraft from China and the US, intend to buy Sukhoi fighter and bomber jets, it reported.

Putin has said the bombing operation in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s forces, which began in September and decreased after Putin withdrew most of his forces in mid-March, cost about half a billion dollars, although analysts said the actual price was likely to have been two or three times higher.

Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said the Syria operation had affected Russian arms sales “extremely positively” by showing Moscow has effective weapons and can challenge western influence. “Russia basically proved it has political will, it has balls, because normally people don’t buy weapons from losers,” he said.

The October launch of Russia’s new Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea at targets in Syria nearly 1,000 miles away placed it in an elite club of countries with such strike capabilities. Moscow also deployed its top-of-the-line S-400 air defence missile systems and Su-35 Flanker fighter aircraft.

In December, Sergei Smirnov, director of the Novosibirsk factory that produces Sukhoi jets, told Vedomosti newspaper that Algeria had sent a “procurement request” for the Su-32, an export version of the Su-34 fighter bomber that saw action in Syria.

“Now, when in the skies of Syria our planes are bombing territories that [Islamic State] wants to take, talks about the sale of Su-32 export bombers to Algeria have been renewed [after eight years],” he said. According to Kommersant, Algeria has ordered 12 Su-32s, a contract worth at least $500m-600m, and has also received an Su-35S for testing.

Interfax reported this month that Algeria had signed a contract for 40 of the export version of the Mi-28N Night Hunter, a new attack helicopter that Russia deployed in Syria. Also this month, Indonesia defence minister Ryamizard Ryacudu told reporters that it would buy 10 Su-35s to replace its US-made F-5 Tigers. China became the first foreign buyer of the Su-35 after it signed a contract for 24 jets in November, although the $2bn deal still has to be ratified by both sides.

Russian and Pakistani officials said in September they were in talks about the sale of Su-35s, IHS Jane’s reported, although analysts said this deal was still questionable. Pakistan said it would buy four Russian Mi-35 attack helicopters last year.

Defence analyst Alexander Golts said although the Syria campaign would help aircraft sales, cost was a bigger factor. “Governments want to renew their air fleets, and Russia offers these planes for a much more modest price than the Americans offer their planes,” he said.

Kommersant also reported that several countries were interested in S-400 missiles, as well as T-90 tanks.