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Africa Horn

Ethiopia Says It Acquired 12 Russian Fighter Jets Amid Rising Tensions With Eritrea

2026-10-29

[GaroweOnline] Æthiopia has taken delivery of 12 Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets and expects to receive four S-400 air defense systems from Moscow, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Wednesday, as tensions with neighboring Eritrea
...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age...
escalate.

Abiy said the aircraft arrived a year ahead of schedule, crediting Russian President Vladimir Putin

...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
for helping accelerate the delivery. He described the acquisitions as a milestone in strengthening Æthiopia’s national security and deterring potential aggression.

The announcement comes amid a worsening dispute between Æthiopia and Eritrea, which have exchanged accusations over military activity along their shared border and support for gangs in Æthiopia’s northern Tigray region.

The two countries severed diplomatic ties in early October, deepening concerns that renewed fighting in northern Æthiopia could spill across the border. Their relationship has tanked in recent years, despite a 2018 peace agreement that ended decades of hostility.

Æthiopia has called for sovereign access to the Red Sea, a demand that has heightened tensions with Eritrea, which controls a strategic stretch of the coastline.

The Su-35 is a Russian-made multirole fighter designed for air combat and ground-attack missions. The aircraft can reach speeds of about 2,400 kilometers per hour at high altitude and is capable of operating over long distances.

The S-400 is a Russian long-range air defense system designed to track and intercept aircraft and various types of missiles. Abiy did not say when the systems would be delivered or where the aircraft and defense batteries would be deployed.

He also did not disclose the value of the deal.

Æthiopia faces multiple security challenges, including renewed fighting in Tigray, where festivities between federal forces and gangs have threatened a 2022 agreement that ended a devastating two-year war.

The country’s military has used drones and other imported weapons in recent conflicts. The acquisition of the Russian aircraft and air defense systems could expand its military capabilities, though the effect on regional security will depend on their deployment and operational readiness.Unable to connect to Postgres server!

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Posted by: Skidmark 2026-10-29 06:22

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