Edy Cohen Says Ethiopia’s Su-35 Acquisition Concerns Egypt

What changed

Ethiopia has acquired and equipped Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets, according to remarks by Israeli researcher and journalist Edy Cohen published on November 3, 2026.

Cohen said the purchase is causing concern in Egypt. He also said Egypt abandoned its own effort to buy the aircraft after pressure from Washington and threats of severe sanctions, while Ethiopia secured the deal through diplomacy and international relationships.

Why it matters

The Su-35 purchase gives Ethiopia a new way to present military preparedness: not simply as a response to danger, but as a tool for preventing conflict. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the aircraft would help defend Ethiopian airspace and argued that countries prepared in peacetime are harder to intimidate.

The sharper point is diplomatic. Cohen’s comparison casts the deal as evidence that Ethiopia managed international pressure differently from Egypt. That framing matters because the aircraft are becoming a symbol of Ethiopia’s ability to pursue strategic interests while dealing with larger powers.

Egyptian concern has been described by Cohen, but the report does not confirm an official Egyptian response. It also gives no number of aircraft, delivery schedule or operational details, so it is too early to say whether the acquisition has changed the regional military balance.