Ethiopia Receives 12 Su‑35 Fighter Jets and Plans to Acquire S‑400 Air Defence Systems from Russia

During the Russia‑Africa summit in Moscow, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that Ethiopia has taken delivery of 12 Su‑35 fighter jets from Russia, a deal that was agreed upon several years earlier and delivered ahead of schedule amid escalating fighting in the northern Tigray region. Ahmed also said Ethiopia intends to procure four S‑400 air‑defence systems. The Su‑35, capable of air‑to‑air and air‑to‑ground missions and equipped to detect cruise missiles up to 200 km, is described by Ethiopian officials as a key step toward protecting the country from external threats and maintaining strategic air superiority over critical infrastructure such as the Renaissance Dam. The acquisition follows a 2021 military cooperation agreement between Ethiopia and Russia that included training and technology upgrades, and comes as tensions rise between Ethiopia and Eritrea over support for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Ethiopia’s move marks it as the first sub‑Saharan African nation to field this advanced combat technology.