Ethiopia receives 12 Russian Su-35 jets

Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and plans to acquire four S-400 air-defence batteries, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on October 28, saying the aircraft arrived a year ahead of schedule under an existing agreement with Moscow. Abiy made the announcement on social media while in Russia for the Russia-Africa Summit. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping bring forward the delivery. The prime minister did not provide a delivery date for the S-400 batteries or disclose the deal’s value or terms. Ethiopian state broadcaster Fana Media Corporation reported that Abiy witnessed the aircraft’s official handover. In his announcement, he described the jets as newly deployed and said the equipment would strengthen Ethiopia’s ability to deter aggression and defend its airspace. The S-400 is a long-range air-defence system designed to engage aircraft and some missiles. A typical battery includes radar equipment, a command post and launcher vehicles. Abiy did not state how many Su-35s Ethiopia has ordered in total; his description of the 12 aircraft as the first delivery does not establish whether further purchases are contracted. Ethiopia’s interest...