Ethiopia Gets 12 Russian Jets as Moscow Deepens Its Arms Role in the Horn of Africa

Ethiopia has received the first 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets it ordered and plans to take four S-400 air defense batteries.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the deal in Moscow during the two-day Russia-Africa Summit. He said the aircraft arrived a year ahead of the schedule set in an earlier agreement with Russia, and that the equipment would strengthen Ethiopia's ability to "preemptively deter aggression." Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement, "I value the friendly relations between Russia and Ethiopia," adding, "Russia and Ethiopia stand together in international affairs." No date was given for when the S-400 batteries would arrive in Ethiopia.

The delivery lands as fighting picks up again in the Tigray region. Clashes between the federal army and Tigrayan forces intensified in late September, effectively unraveling the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that had ended a two-year war. Government troops and allied forces entered Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, earlier in October after Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters pulled back. Addis Ababa then installed a six-month caretaker administration, though rebel commanders have said they will keep fighting. Ethiopia is also dealing with a separate rebellion in Amhara and tensions with neighboring Eritrea.

Benedict Manzin, a lead analyst on the Middle East and Africa at risk consultancy Sibylline, said the new air defense systems would be "best used against conventional air threats." He added that in a war with Eritrea, "they could be used against Eritrea's limited air force and drones." Manzin also noted that "conventional air defence systems can be overwhelmed by small, cheap drones," drawing on what he called experience from Ukraine.

The military ties between Moscow and Addis Ababa go back decades. Manzin said Russia's involvement stems "part of the legacy of the Cold War," when the Soviet Union backed Ethiopia's former communist government. The Ethiopian News Agency reports that the two countries have since signed military agreements aimed at improving the Ethiopian armed forces' capabilities through technology, knowledge and training. Arms sales also serve Russian commercial interests. "Russia is also in the business of making money through arms sales," Manzin said, calling it one of Russia's primary exports to Africa.

Putin said bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $1.3bn in the January to September period, more than double the figure for all of 2025. Abiy said his talks with Putin covered nuclear energy, health and trade, along with bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Putin pointed to energy, agriculture, industry and education as areas where the two sides could work together further.

Manzin said Ethiopia is not choosing Moscow over the West, but widening its options. "African states are aware that they are a focus of geopolitical competition," he said, adding, "Everyone engages a bit, and Ethiopia tries to maximise its gains." Ethiopia's relationship with Russia exists alongside a large Chinese presence and continued Western investment. "China has a huge presence in Ethiopia, and Russian arms have always been a huge factor," Manzin said.

Russia supplied 15 percent of African imports of major weapons from 2021 to 2025, behind the United States at 19 percent and China at 17 percent, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Each side in the Tigray fighting has blamed the other for the renewed violence. Tensions grew after a seven-group alliance formed seeking to overthrow Abiy's government and set up a transitional administration.