Ethiopia Bolsters Air Power with 12 Russian Su-35 Jets, Eyes S-400 Acquisition Amidst Regional Conflicts

Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and plans to acquire four S-400 air defence batteries, as announced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The announcement was made on X (formerly Twitter) during a visit to Moscow for the Russia-Africa Summit, where Russia is pursuing enhanced security and economic partnerships with African nations. This significant military acquisition comes at a time when Ethiopian forces are engaged in renewed combat with rebels in the northern Tigray region and a separate insurgency in the Amhara region. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the fighter jets arrived a year ahead of schedule, fulfilling an existing agreement with Moscow, and expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for expediting the delivery. While a timeline for the S-400 batteries, designed for intercepting aircraft and missiles, was not provided, Abiy indicated that the new military hardware would enhance Ethiopia’s capacity for "preemptively deterring aggression." In a subsequent post, he confirmed the jets were newly deployed and intended to safeguard Ethiopian airspace.

This development underscores Russia's expanding military collaboration with Ethiopia, following a series of agreements. A military cooperation pact was signed in Addis Ababa in July 2021, aiming to upgrade the Ethiopian armed forces' training and technological capabilities. Earlier in January, the defence publication Janes reported Ethiopia's display of recently acquired Russian Yak-130 advanced jet trainers during the 90th anniversary celebrations of its air force. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia supplied 15 percent of Africa's major weapons imports between 2021 and 2025, positioning it as the continent's third-largest supplier. Moscow has been actively seeking to strengthen military and economic ties with African countries amidst Western sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine. The Russia-Africa Summit, commencing on Wednesday, is set to host African leaders for discussions on trade, investment, and security.

The announcement coincides with a significant shift in the Tigray conflict, where government troops and allied forces entered the regional capital Mekelle on October 4, following the withdrawal of fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF, an armed group that previously governed Tigray, has experienced further territorial losses as government forces advanced into other towns. Addis Ababa has since installed a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray, though fighting persists. A TPLF commander has called for continued resistance, and the group has claimed responsibility for attacks against government-aligned troops in northwestern Tigray on Wednesday. This resurgence of conflict has effectively undermined the peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022, which concluded two years of fighting estimated by researchers at Ghent University to have caused approximately 500,000 civilian deaths. Concurrently, government forces are engaged in conflict with Fano, an Amhara armed group that began fighting federal troops in 2023.