Ethiopia has received 12 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia and intends to acquire four S-400 air defence batteries, according to Al Jazeera. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the arrangement in Moscow during a two-day Russia-Africa Summit, saying the first batch of aircraft had arrived under an earlier agreement while declining to give a timeline for the air defence systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the relationship between the two countries in warm terms at the summit, saying Moscow and Addis Ababa cooperate on international matters, Al Jazeera reports.
Why it matters
The transfer adds to an Ethiopian air force that already flies Russian-made fighters, and the S-400s would give the military a new layer of protection against aerial attack. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say the deal also deepens Moscow's position in the Horn of Africa, bringing arms revenue and diplomatic weight at a time when Western sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine have narrowed Russia's international room.
For Ethiopia, the timing is significant. The country is fighting renewed conflict in Tigray, facing a separate rebellion in Amhara, and managing anxiety about a possible war with neighbouring Eritrea.
What the aircraft and defences can do
Benedict Manzin, who leads Middle East and Africa analysis at the risk consultancy Sibylline, told Al Jazeera that the S-400 batteries would be most effective against conventional aerial threats. In a conflict with Eritrea, he said, they could be directed at that country's modest air force and drones. He also noted a limitation: as the war in Ukraine has shown, large conventional air defence systems can be swamped by small, inexpensive drones.
Manzin traced the relationship back decades, describing Russia's long engagement with Ethiopia as a legacy of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union supported the country's former communist government. The current partnership rests on that history, with the two governments having signed military agreements aimed at improving the Ethiopian armed forces through technology, expertise and training, according to the Ethiopian News Agency.
He was blunt about one motive behind the sales. "Russia is also in the business of making money through arms sales," he told Al Jazeera, describing weapons as one of Moscow's main exports to Africa. Beyond the immediate revenue, such deals keep governments tied to Russian suppliers for training, maintenance and replacement equipment.
Abiy said the aircraft arrived a year ahead of schedule and thanked Putin for the early delivery, saying the equipment would improve Ethiopia's ability to deter aggression before it starts, Al Jazeera reports.
Trade, nuclear energy and a wider courtship
The summit talks went beyond hardware. Abiy said his discussions with Putin covered nuclear energy, health and trade as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Putin said trade between the two countries had passed $1.3bn in the January-to-September period, more than double the total for all of 2025, and pointed to energy, agriculture, industry and education as areas for further growth, according to Al Jazeera.
Manzin framed Ethiopia's approach as one of widening options rather than picking a single patron. He said African governments understand they are the object of geopolitical competition, which lets them shop for weapons, investment and diplomatic support from several partners at once. Ethiopia hosts a large Chinese presence and continues to attract Western investment alongside its Russian arms purchases.
"Everyone engages a bit, and Ethiopia tries to maximise its gains," he told Al Jazeera.
Russia's share of major weapons imports into Africa was 15 percent in 2021–2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, as cited by Al Jazeera. That places it behind the United States at 19 percent and China at 17 percent.
Fighting at home and tension with Eritrea
The delivery lands during an active war. Clashes between Ethiopia's federal army and Tigrayan forces escalated in late September, effectively undoing the November 2022 Pretoria agreement that had ended a two-year conflict. Both sides blame the other for the breakdown. Tensions rose further after seven groups formed an alliance aimed at toppling Abiy's government and setting up a transitional administration.
Government troops and allied forces entered Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, earlier in October after fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front pulled back. Addis Ababa then set up a caretaker administration to run the region for six months, while rebel commanders have said they will keep fighting.
Manzin cautioned against reading the purchases as a direct response to the latest fighting, noting that such deals are negotiated well in advance. Aircraft help in any case, he said, because Ethiopia leans heavily on air power during operations.
The Su-35s expand a fleet that already includes Russian jets, and the S-400s would work alongside them. Al Jazeera reports that Abiy did not say when the four batteries would be delivered.
What to watch: whether the S-400 deliveries proceed on schedule, and whether the new aircraft change the balance in Tigray or factor into any confrontation with Eritrea.
