Russia delivers 12 Sukhoi SU-35 jets and four S-400 batteries to Ethiopia

Russia has delivered the first 12 fourth-generation Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jets to Ethiopia, along with four batteries of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy announced on Wednesday during a visit to Moscow for the third Russia–Africa Summit.

According to G4Media, which cited EFE and Agerpres, Abiy said on his X account that with these aircraft Ethiopia now leads sub-Saharan African countries in air power. He said the jets give the country better capabilities to deter aggression and described the moment as historic, one that will strengthen Ethiopia’s sovereignty and help guarantee collective security and regional stability.

The prime minister also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for ensuring the aircraft arrived a year ahead of the agreed schedule.

The delivery takes place while the Ethiopian army is engaged in fighting in the north of the country. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front announced on 23 September that it was launching a defensive war in the northern Tigray region after months of escalating tensions and repeated drone strikes.

The third Russia–Africa Summit is expected to draw 48 African countries, with more than 20 represented by heads of state or government. Leaders from Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Equatorial Guinea are among those expected to attend. The African Union will also be represented.

At the end of the summit, Putin and Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who currently chairs the African Union, are scheduled to hold a joint press conference to present the results. The Kremlin said trade between Russia and African countries grew by a third over the past three years, from 17.9 billion dollars to 27.1 billion dollars by the end of 2025. The previous Russia–Africa Summit took place in July 2023 in St Petersburg.