Ethiopia acquires Russian fighter jets and air defence systems amid war in Tigray

What the report says

Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, according to BBC Africa, as fighting in the northern Tigray region has intensified. The delivery comes while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is in Moscow for the Russia-Africa summit, where he described the aircraft as a major boost to Ethiopia’s defence capability and said the deal had been agreed years earlier. He also said Ethiopia plans to buy four S-400 air defence systems from Russia.

Abiy said the equipment is needed to protect the country from external threats and argued that advanced air power is important for Ethiopia’s security. He also said Ethiopia has become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to obtain this type of combat technology. BBC Africa noted that Russia and Ethiopia have signed several military cooperation agreements in recent years, including a 2021 deal focused on training and technology.

The report links the acquisition to a wider regional security climate. Fighting resumed in Tigray last month between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, with both sides accusing the other of breaking a 2022 peace deal that ended the civil war. Ethiopia also accuses Eritrea of supporting the TPLF, which Eritrea denies. The tension matters because the conflict sits near the Eritrean border and could affect stability in the Horn of Africa.