Ethiopia Bolsters Air Defence with Russian Su-35 Jet Delivery

Ethiopia has officially received a consignment of twelve Russian fighter jets, as confirmed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday. The announcement was made during his participation in the third Russia-Africa summit, a period marked by persistent high tensions with Eritrea, its neighbouring country.

This development follows recent movements by Ethiopian troops, who advanced towards the Eritrean border after successfully repelling an offensive by rebels supported by Eritrea within Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. Despite a recent severance of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea this month, both Prime Minister Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki are present at the Russia-Africa summit. The two-day event, taking place in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday, has drawn representatives from 48 African countries.

On the social media platform X, the Ethiopian head of government declared, “We have today taken delivery of the first twelve Su-35 4++ Generation fighter jets,” attributing the acquisition to a “prior agreement with the Russian government.” Further specifics were not disclosed by the Prime Minister. He also mentioned that Ethiopia is slated to acquire an additional four “S-400 air defence system batteries.”

Abiy described this acquisition as a “historic achievement,” emphasizing its role in enabling Ethiopia to uphold “our collective security and regional stability.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that the ongoing summit could serve as a platform for reconciliation between the often-contentious Horn of Africa neighbours. Lavrov remarked, “We are interested in Ethiopia and Eritrea normalising their relations,” further stating that Moscow was prepared to “provide every opportunity for arranging contact” during the proceedings.

Eritrea, under the leadership of President Isaias since its independence in 1993, harbors concerns that its landlocked neighbour, Ethiopia, might launch an invasion to secure access to the strategically vital Red Sea. Notably, Eritrea was among a small group of five nations—which also included Syria and North Korea—that voted against a United Nations resolution in March 2022. That resolution specifically called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.