Ethiopia has taken delivery of 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and will receive four S-400 air-defense batteries, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Wednesday, announcing a major military upgrade amid a deepening crisis with neighboring Eritrea.
Abiy said Russia delivered the fighters a year ahead of schedule and thanked President Vladimir Putin for speeding up the transfer. Ethiopia’s state news agency reported that the purchase forms part of an existing agreement with Moscow.
The delivery’s scale remains unclear. While Abiy announced receipt of 12 aircraft, Aviation Week reported that two fighters from a planned fleet of 12 were handed over at Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport on Oct. 28. That discrepancy leaves open how many aircraft are physically in Ethiopian hands. No delivery date has been announced for the S-400 batteries.
The package would expand Ethiopia’s ability to contest airspace and defend strategic sites. Its practical effect, however, will depend on the weapons supplied, crew training and the country’s ability to keep the systems operating.
Ethiopia already flies Russian-designed Su-27 fighters and added two Su-30Ks in 2024. Introducing the Su-35 builds on that experience, but still requires new training, maintenance support and spare parts.
The Su-35 is a heavily upgraded member of the Su-27 family. Its manufacturer describes it as a Generation 4+ airframe designed for air-superiority missions and strikes against ground and naval targets, with radar capable of tracking multiple aircraft and supporting engagements at long range. Those features offer Ethiopia more options for intercepting hostile aircraft and conducting strikes.
The S-400 would add a separate layer of protection. The mobile missile system is designed to engage aircraft and cruise missiles, with some capability against ballistic missiles. Its actual coverage depends on the missiles supplied, radar placement and target altitude. Four batteries would not, by themselves, provide an impenetrable shield over the country.
The announcement comes during a sharp deterioration in relations with Eritrea. Diplomatic ties broke down Oct. 1 after Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Asmara closed and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting armed opponents of its government, an allegation Asmara denies.
The confrontation has since reached the United Nations. Ethiopia accused Eritrea of sending forces into its territory and invoked its right to self-defense. Eritrea rejected that account and accused Addis Ababa of using the dispute to justify a war aimed at securing sovereign access to the sea.
That makes the arms announcement a political signal as well as a military development. Once operational, the fighters and missile batteries could raise the cost of an attack on Ethiopia. They could also deepen neighboring governments’ concerns about how Addis Ababa intends to use its growing strength.
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