Conflict & Security
Ethiopia receives 12 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia
October 28, 2026 at 04:58 PM
Coverage
3 reports · 2 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 2 hours
Ethiopia announced it has taken delivery of 12 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets under a prior agreement with Moscow, with S-400 air defense systems to follow.
- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Wednesday that Ethiopia received a first batch of 12 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets.
- Abiy said the delivery implements a previous agreement with the Russian government and that Ethiopia will receive four S-400 air defense batteries.
- Abiy thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for delivering the jets a full year ahead of the scheduled deadline.
- Abiy said the aircraft give Ethiopia the capacity to deter any aggression.
- Abiy made the announcement during the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, amid renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray and Amhara regions.