{"id":12291,"date":"2026-10-29T12:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12291"},"modified":"2026-10-29T12:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:41:11","slug":"why-is-russia-sending-fighter-jets-and-air-defences-to-ethiopia-weapons-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12291","title":{"rendered":"Why is Russia sending fighter jets and air defences to Ethiopia? | Weapons News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ethiopia has received<\/a> 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and will acquire four S-400 air defence batteries, in a deal experts say strengthens Moscow\u2019s foothold in the Horn of Africa while bolstering Addis Ababa\u2019s military amid conflict at home and tensions with neighbouring Eritrea.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the deal in Moscow during the two-day Russia-Africa Summit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI value the friendly relations between Russia and Ethiopia,\u201d Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement. \u201cRussia and Ethiopia stand together in international affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experts say the agreement builds on decades of military cooperation, offering Moscow arms revenue and diplomatic influence while allowing Ethiopia to strengthen its armed forces amid its ongoing conflict in Tigray.<\/p>\n

Here is what we know:<\/p>\n

What weapons is Ethiopia acquiring?<\/h2>\n

Abiy said Ethiopia had taken delivery of its first 12 Su-35s under an earlier agreement with Russia, with four S-400 batteries to follow, but did not say when the air defence systems would arrive.<\/p>\n

The aircraft would expand an air force already equipped with Russian fighter jets. The S-400 systems would complement this existing fleet by helping the military defend itself against aerial threats, experts say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would be best used against conventional air threats,\u201d Benedict Manzin, a lead analyst on the Middle East and Africa at risk consultancy Sibylline, told Al Jazeera. \u201cIn a war with Eritrea, they could be used against Eritrea\u2019s limited air force and drones.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, air defences do not provide protection against every kind of attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we have seen in Ukraine, conventional air defence systems can be overwhelmed by small, cheap drones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Why does Russia want closer ties with Ethiopia?<\/h2>\n

The relationship predates the current competition for influence in Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia has been engaged in Ethiopia for decades, part of the legacy of the Cold War,\u201d Manzin said.<\/p>\n

The Soviet Union backed Ethiopia\u2019s former communist government. Today\u2019s cooperation builds on those foundations, with the two countries having signed military agreements intended to improve the Ethiopian armed forces\u2019 capabilities through technology, knowledge and training, according to the Ethiopian News Agency.<\/p>\n

Commercial interests also matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia is also in the business of making money through arms sales,\u201d Manzin said. \u201cThis is one of Russia\u2019s primary exports to Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weapons sales provide revenue while sustaining relationships with governments that require training, maintenance and replacement equipment. But the partnership extends beyond defence.<\/p>\n

Abiy said his talks with Putin covered nuclear energy, health and trade, alongside bilateral and multilateral cooperation, while in a statement, Putin said bilateral trade exceeded $1.3bn in January-September, more than twice the figure for all of 2025.<\/p>\n

He identified energy, agriculture, industry and education among potential areas for further cooperation.<\/p>\n

Ethiopia\u2019s size also makes it attractive to competing powers, with experts saying that because it is Africa\u2019s second-most populous country, it offers a substantial market.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone engages a bit, and Ethiopia tries to maximise its gains,\u201d Manzin said.<\/p>\n

Does this mean Ethiopia is turning away from the West?<\/h2>\n

Manzin suggested Ethiopia is widening its options rather than committing exclusively to Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrican states are aware that they are a focus of geopolitical competition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That competition gives governments room to seek weapons, investment and diplomatic backing from different partners. Ethiopia\u2019s relationship with Russia coexists with a significant Chinese presence and continuing Western investment in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina has a huge presence in Ethiopia, and Russian arms have always been a huge factor,\u201d Manzin said. Moscow is seeking to turn those established connections into broader influence as Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine constrain its international relationships.<\/p>\n

Russia supplied 15 percent of African imports of major weapons in 2021\u20132025, behind the United States at 19 percent and China at 17 percent, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).<\/p>\n

Could the weapons be used in Tigray?<\/h2>\n

In his statement, Abiy thanked Putin for ensuring the aircraft were delivered a year ahead of schedule and said the equipment would strengthen Ethiopia\u2019s ability to \u201cpreemptively deter aggression\u201d.<\/p>\n

The delivery comes amid renewed fighting in Tigray, a separate rebellion in Amhara and concerns about a possible conflict with Eritrea.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthiopia is buying a lot of aircraft,\u201d Manzin said. \u201cThe timing comes as Ethiopia is going through conflict in Tigray, with speculation about war with Eritrea.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cautioned against assuming the latest battlefield developments directly prompted purchases negotiated earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cAircraft are helpful regardless, as they are using aircraft and the air force heavily during any suppression,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the conflict about?<\/h2>\n

Fighting between Ethiopia\u2019s federal army and Tigrayan forces intensified in late September, in effect unravelling the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war.<\/p>\n

Each side has blamed the other for renewed violence. Tensions grew following the formation of a seven-group alliance seeking to overthrow Abiy\u2019s government and establish a transitional administration.<\/p>\n

Government troops and allied forces entered Mekelle, Tigray\u2019s capital, earlier in October after Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front (TPLF<\/a>) fighters withdrew.<\/p>\n

Addis Ababa subsequently installed a six-month caretaker administration, but rebel commanders have promised to continue fighting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and will acquire four S-400 air defence batteries, in a deal experts say strengthens Moscow\u2019s foothold in the Horn of Africa while bolstering Addis Ababa\u2019s military amid conflict at home and tensions with neighbouring Eritrea. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the deal in Moscow during the two-day…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t