Ethiopia has taken delivery of 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Wednesday. He posted the news on X while in Moscow for the two-day Russia-Africa Summit, Hiiraan Online reported.
Abiy said Ethiopia will also acquire four S-400 air defence batteries. The systems are designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles. He did not say when they would arrive. Premium Times also reported the delivery of the jets and air defence systems.
Abiy said the new equipment would strengthen Ethiopia's ability to "preemptively deter aggression". In a second post later that day, he described the jets as newly deployed. He said they would defend Ethiopian airspace.
The deal adds to a growing military partnership between Addis Ababa and Moscow. The two governments signed a military cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa in July 2021. It aimed to improve training and technology in the Ethiopian armed forces. In January, defence publication Janes reported that Ethiopia had displayed newly acquired Russian Yak-130 jet trainers at its air force's 90th anniversary celebrations.
Russia has sought closer military and economic ties with African countries while facing Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine. The summit, which began on Wednesday, brings African leaders together for talks on trade, investment and security.
The jets arrive as Ethiopian forces fight renewed battles in northern Tigray. Government troops and allied forces entered the regional capital Mekelle on October 4 after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters withdrew. Addis Ababa has since appointed a six-month caretaker administration for the region, but the fighting continues. A TPLF commander called for continued resistance in a television broadcast last week. The group also claimed attacks on government-aligned troops in northwestern Tigray on Wednesday.
The renewed war has effectively undone the peace deal signed in Pretoria in November 2022. That deal ended two years of fighting, which Ghent University researchers estimate killed about 500,000 civilians. Federal troops are also fighting Fano, an armed group in the Amhara region that has battled the government since 2023.