OMM Newsroom
Ethiopia has received 12 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets and plans to acquire four S-400 air defense systems, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency.
“Ethiopia’s newly deployed military jets will remain more ready than ever to defend the airspace!” Abiy wrote on the social media platform “X”.
He said the aircraft had been delivered under an earlier agreement with Moscow, while the S-400 systems were expected to arrive later.
Abiy thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the jets had been delivered a year ahead of the agreed schedule. He described the acquisitions as a major step toward strengthening Ethiopia’s military capabilities and protecting its sovereignty.
The Su-35 is a Russian multirole combat aircraft designed for air superiority and ground attack missions. The S-400 is a long-range surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging aircraft and other aerial threats.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, former allies whose relations have worsened over Addis Ababa’s demand for access to the Red Sea and disagreements about security in northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea gained independence in 1993. 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 clashed, has also raised concerns about instability along the Ethiopian-Eritrean border.
The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 and restored diplomatic relations in 2018. Eritrean troops later fought alongside Ethiopian government forces during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict, but relations have since deteriorated.
