Ethiopia Receives 12 Russian Su-35 Jets a Year Ahead of Schedule

Ethiopia has taken possession of 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, arriving one year before the deadline set in its existing defense pact with Moscow. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the delivery on Wednesday while visiting the Russian capital for the two-day Russia-Africa Summit.

Ahmed posted the news on X, thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for accelerating the handover. The prime minister stated that the new aircraft would help Ethiopia defend its airspace and preemptively deter aggression. He also revealed that Addis Ababa intends to buy four S-400 air defence batteries, though he did not provide a specific arrival date for those systems.

The announcement marks the latest step in a growing military alliance between the two nations. In July 2021, the countries signed a military cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa aimed at improving training and technology for the Ethiopian armed forces. Earlier this year, in January, defense publication Janes reported that Ethiopia displayed newly acquired Russian Yak-130 advanced jet trainers during its air force's 90th anniversary celebrations.

Russia has emerged as a major supplier of arms to the continent. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Moscow supplied 15 percent of Africa's major weapons imports between 2021 and 2025. This positions Russia as the third-largest supplier to the region, a role it has pursued actively while under Western sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

The arrival of the new jets occurs as Ethiopian forces continue to engage in combat in the north. Government troops and allied units entered the Tigray regional capital, Mekelle, on October 4 following the withdrawal of Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters. The TPLF, which previously governed the region, has since lost additional territory as government forces advanced into other towns.

Despite the installation of a six-month caretaker administration in Tigray, fighting has persisted. A TPLF commander called for continued resistance in a television broadcast last week, and the group claimed attacks on government-aligned troops in northwestern Tigray on Wednesday. This renewed conflict has largely reversed the gains from the peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022.

Researchers at Belgium's Ghent University estimate that the earlier two-year war killed approximately 500,000 civilians. Federal forces are also engaged in a separate conflict with Fano, an Amhara armed group that has fought government troops since 2023.