Ethiopia receives 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, plans to acquire S-400 air defenses

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Wednesday that Ethiopia has received 12 advanced Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets and plans to acquire four S-400 air defense systems, Anadolu reports.

The announcement comes as tensions with neighboring Eritrea and renewed fighting in the northern Tigray region raise fears of a wider conflict in the Horn of Africa.

“Ethiopia’s newly deployed military jets will remain more ready than ever to defend the airspace!” Abiy wrote on US social media platform X.

He said the fighter jets were delivered under an earlier agreement with Moscow, and the S-400 air defense systems are expected to arrive later.

“I would like to express my gratitude to my friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his dedication in ensuring we received these warplanes a year ahead of our agreed schedule,” said Abiy.

He described the acquisitions as a major step toward strengthening Ethiopia’s military capabilities and protecting its sovereignty.

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The Russian multirole combat aircraft is designed for air superiority and ground attack missions. The S-400 is a long-range surface-to-air missile system that can engage aircraft and other aerial threats.

Tensions have heightened between Ethiopia and Eritrea, former allies whose relations have deteriorated because of Addis Ababa’s demand for access to the Red Sea and disagreements on security in northern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea gained independence in 1993, and Abiy has repeatedly described maritime access as essential to the country’s economic and security interests.

Renewed fighting in Tigray, where Ethiopian federal forces and rival Tigrayan factions have been engaged in hostilities, has also raised concerns about instability along the Ethiopian-Eritrean border.

The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 before restoring diplomatic relations in 2018. Eritrean troops later fought alongside Ethiopian government forces during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, but relations have since deteriorated.

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