Ethiopia's Abiy says country has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets
By Vera, Vocemundi ·
By Vera, Vocemundi · 2026-10-31
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced that Ethiopia has received 12 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia. Al Jazeera and TASS both reported the announcement. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not independently confirm the delivery.
According to Al Jazeera, Abiy said the jets arrived a year earlier than expected under an existing agreement with Moscow. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping to speed up the delivery.
Abiy made the announcement on X on Wednesday while in Moscow for the two-day Russia-Africa Summit, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera reported that he also announced Ethiopia will acquire four S-400 air defence batteries. He gave no date for their arrival.
In a second X post later the same day, Abiy described the jets as newly deployed and said they would defend Ethiopian airspace, according to Al Jazeera. He said the new equipment will strengthen Ethiopia's ability to "preemptively deter aggression", Al Jazeera reported.
Background
Ethiopia and Russia signed a military cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa in July 2021. It aimed to improve the Ethiopian armed forces' training and technology, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera cited the defence publication Janes as reporting that in January, Ethiopia displayed newly acquired Russian Yak-130 advanced jet trainers during celebrations of its air force's 90th anniversary.
Al Jazeera also cited the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI found that Russia supplied 15 percent of Africa's imports of major weapons between 2021 and 2025. That made Russia the continent's third-largest supplier.
The announcement comes amid renewed conflict in Tigray. According to Al Jazeera, Ethiopian government troops and allied forces entered the regional capital, Mekelle, on 4 October after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters withdrew. Addis Ababa has appointed a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray, and fighting has continued, Al Jazeera reported. A TPLF commander called for continued resistance in a television broadcast in the week before Al Jazeera's report.
A peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022 ended two years of fighting in Tigray. Al Jazeera cited researchers at Belgium's Ghent University as estimating that those two years of fighting killed about 500,000 civilians. Government forces are also fighting Fano, an Amhara armed group that has fought federal troops since 2023, according to Al Jazeera.
What each side says
- Abiy Ahmed: Ethiopia has received 12 Su-35 jets, ahead of schedule, and the equipment will help it "preemptively deter aggression".
- TPLF: It has claimed attacks against government-aligned troops in northwestern Tigray on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera.
What the reports do not include
The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any statement from the Russian government, the Russian defence ministry or the manufacturer confirming the jet delivery or the S-400 plan. They do not include independent verification of the jets' arrival, the terms or cost of the agreement, or where the jets are based. They do not say whether the jets will be used in Tigray or Amhara. They also do not include responses from the TPLF, Fano or neighbouring governments.
Analysis
If confirmed, the delivery would mark a significant expansion of Ethiopia's air capabilities and of its defence ties with Russia. The core claim currently rests on a single origin: the prime minister's own announcement. Confirmation from Moscow or independent evidence would clarify the picture. One open question is whether the aircraft remain focused on airspace defence, as Abiy described, or become relevant to the internal conflicts in Tigray and Amhara. The reports do not address this. Reactions from armed groups, neighbouring states and other arms suppliers could also shape how the announcement is read regionally.
Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.
This story was originally published by Vocemundi and is republished under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license. How we verified this story.
Originally published by Vocemundi Wire — English