Ethiopia confirms Su-35 acquisition, but Russia says two have been delivered

AI-generated. This briefing was written by an AI model from published sources and was not reviewed by a person before publication. Check the original sources before relying on it.

Published: November 2, 2026

1 source

Occurred: 6d ago

First reported by: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

Ethiopian Air ForceEthiopiaRussiaSukhoiRosoboronexportZhukovsky International AirportRussia-Africa SummitS-400

In brief

Ethiopia says it is acquiring 12 Russian Su-35s, while Russia’s state arms exporter told Reuters that only two had been delivered so far.

Sources disagree

Factual claims where reporting sources diverge. Treat with care until confirmed by the primary investigator or regulator.

Twelve Su-35s had been delivered versus only two physically delivered to the Ethiopian Air Force at that point.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as quoted in FlightGlobal and multiple reportsRosoboronexport, as quoted by Reuters and reported in FlightGlobalJanesThe Aviationist

Ethiopia has announced the acquisition of Russian Su-35 fighter aircraft, but the scale of the completed handover is not yet clear. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on 28 October that the first 12 jets had been received, describing the delivery as a milestone and thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for accelerating it. Russia’s state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport, however, told Reuters that only two Su-35s had been delivered to the Ethiopian Air Force so far. Reporting by Janes and The Aviationist also describes two Ethiopian-marked aircraft at Zhukovsky International Airport near…

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