Ethiopia Receives 12 Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets and Plans S-400 Missiles, Abiy Says

Photo: Al Jazeera

Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and will later take delivery of four S-400 air defence systems, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Wednesday, in a major step up in the country's air power as fighting continues in its northern Tigray region.

Abiy made the announcement on X during a visit to Moscow for the two-day Russia-Africa Summit, Reuters reported. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin had helped ensure the fourth-generation Su-35 planes arrived a year earlier than planned, and that the new equipment would strengthen Ethiopia's ability to "pre-emptively deter aggression".

Main News Report

The delivery covers 12 Su-35 jets, one of Russia's most advanced fighter aircraft. Abiy said the jets had already arrived, and in a second post later on Wednesday he described them as newly deployed and said they would defend Ethiopian airspace.

Alongside the jets, Ethiopia will acquire four S-400 air defence batteries, which are designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles. No date was given for their arrival, and Abiy did not say what the deal is worth, when the S-400 systems will be delivered, or where the aircraft and the air defence batteries will be based.

Russian state-owned defence group Rostec, which handles Russian arms exports, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

The announcement came as African leaders gathered in Moscow for the Russia-Africa Summit, which began on Wednesday. Al Jazeera reported that Russia is using the summit to seek closer security and economic ties with African countries while it faces Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

Background Context

The deal is the latest step in a military partnership that goes back years. Ethiopia and Russia signed a military cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa in July 2021, aimed at improving the training and technology of the Ethiopian armed forces.

In January, defence publication Janes reported that Ethiopia had shown off newly acquired Russian Yak-130 jet trainers during celebrations marking its air force's 90th anniversary. The Su-35 delivery is a much larger step, giving Ethiopia a modern front-line fighter for the first time.

Russia is already a major arms supplier to Africa. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says Russia supplied 15 percent of Africa's imports of major weapons between 2021 and 2025, making it the continent's third-largest supplier.

For Ethiopia, air power has mattered before. In the last Tigray war, from 2020 to 2022, foreign-made drones helped turn the fighting in the government's favour. The new jets and air defence systems now give Addis Ababa a stronger air arm at a time when the war has flared up again.

Reactions and Statements

Abiy framed the delivery in plain security terms. He said the jets marked a milestone in Ethiopia's efforts to strengthen national security, and thanked Putin for helping to speed up the delivery by a year.

The announcement has drawn attention because of where and when it was made, at a summit where Moscow is openly courting African governments. Russia has sought closer military and economic ties with African countries as Western sanctions have cut into its other partnerships, and Ethiopia is one of the continent's largest and most strategically placed states.

There has been no public comment yet from the United States or other Western governments on the delivery, and no statement from Rostec. The value of the agreement remains undisclosed, which means it is not yet possible to judge how large a deal this is in money terms, only in military terms.

Why This News Matters

Put simply, Ethiopia has just bought itself a much sharper air force. Twelve modern fighter jets and four top-end air defence systems change what the country can do in the air, both to defend its own skies and to support ground forces in Tigray and Amhara, where federal troops are fighting armed groups.

The timing matters too. Government troops and allied forces entered the Tigray regional capital, Mekelle, on 4 October after fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew, and Addis Ababa has since appointed a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray. But the fighting has not stopped. A TPLF commander called for continued resistance in a television broadcast last week, and the group has claimed attacks against government-aligned troops in north-western Tigray on Wednesday itself.

The key figures tell the story at a glance:

• 12 Su-35 fighter jets now delivered
• 4 S-400 air defence systems to follow, date not given
• 1 year early, with help from President Putin, according to Abiy
• 15 percent: Russia's share of Africa's major weapons imports from 2021 to 2025
• July 2021: the year Ethiopia and Russia signed their military cooperation agreement

There is also a wider regional angle. Ethiopia's renewed fighting has already broken its ties with neighbouring Eritrea, which Addis Ababa accuses of backing the rebels, a charge Asmara denies. A stronger Ethiopian air force, supplied by Moscow, will be watched closely in Asmara, in the wider Horn of Africa, and in Western capitals that have tried to limit Russian arms sales.

Future Developments

Watch for the first public sightings of the Su-35 jets inside Ethiopia, and for any detail on where they will be based. Basing matters, because it will show whether the jets are meant mainly for the northern front or for guarding the whole country.

Also watch for a date on the S-400 systems. Air defence batteries take time to install and train crews for, so the gap between the jet delivery and the S-400 arrival will show how fast this build-up is really moving.

Finally, watch the Russia-Africa Summit itself. If other African leaders leave Moscow with similar deals, the Ethiopia announcement will look less like a one-off and more like part of a wider Russian push back into African defence markets.

Sources

• Reuters: Ethiopia says it has taken delivery of 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets
• Al Jazeera: Ethiopia receives 12 Russian Su-35 jets, plans S-400 acquisition

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