Ethiopia receives 12 Russian Su-35 jets, plans S-400 acquisition

What the report says

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and intends to buy four S-400 air defence batteries, making the announcement on X during a visit to Moscow for the Russia-Africa Summit. According to Al Jazeera’s report, he said the aircraft arrived earlier than expected under an existing agreement with Russia and would help strengthen Ethiopia’s air defences. He did not give a date for delivery of the S-400 systems.

The announcement comes as Ethiopia faces renewed fighting in the north and in the Amhara region. Government forces are battling rebels in Tigray and the Fano armed group in Amhara, keeping security pressures high even after a 2022 peace deal had ended the previous Tigray war. Al Jazeera noted that the recent escalation has reversed much of that settlement.

The report also places the deal in the wider context of Russia’s growing military ties with African states. Ethiopia and Russia signed a military cooperation agreement in 2021, and Moscow has been seeking closer security and economic partnerships across the continent while under Western sanctions. The new jets and planned missile defence purchase suggest deeper defence cooperation between Addis Ababa and Moscow at a time of continued conflict in Ethiopia.