Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has said that his country expects to receive four S-400 air defense system batteries from Russia.
The prime minister made the remarks on his X account on October 28, according to TASS. The statement comes amid his participation in the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit, which is taking place in Moscow on October 28-29.
On the same day, the CEO of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheyev, announced that "Rosoboronexport has delivered the first batch of Su-35 aircraft to the Ethiopian Air Force".
"We are working not only with Ethiopia but also with many African countries. We have a fairly large order portfolio. More than 30% of orders of Rosoboronexport’s order book come today from African countries. Therefore, we are open to dialogue in this regard and are currently making use of all the opportunities that the industry offers us," Mikheyev noted.
Russia and Ethiopia have been developing military-industrial cooperation for many years. In July 2021, the two countries signed several agreements aimed at modernizing the Ethiopian army, transferring technologies, and training servicemen.
Moscow remains a major arms supplier to Africa, and Rosoboronexport says African countries account for more than 30 percent of its order portfolio. Russia has increasingly paired weapons sales with training, maintenance, and long-term security agreements, raising questions about the strategic and financial dependencies such deals can create.
By March 2026, Russia had concluded nearly 60 military cooperation agreements covering 39 African countries. Between 2020 and 2025, Russian warships made more than 65 port visits to at least 18 African countries.
