Ethiopia rejects Kremlin’s Plea to Save Russia’s Airline Industry

In a new effort to bypass Western sanctions, Russia asked Ethiopian Airlines to provide passenger jets under a “wet lease” arrangement that would include aircraft, crews, maintenance, and insurance. The request was made during a high-level visit to Addis Ababa by Russian Trade Commissioner Yaroslav Tarasyuk, who met with officials from Ethiopia’s Civil Aviation Authority to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in aviation.

The goal was clear: bypass the crippling effects of aviation sanctions that have left Russia’s commercial fleet in slow decay since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Ethiopian sources, Russia’s proposal included not only leasing aircraft but also potential collaboration on technical maintenance and the supply of aviation equipment.

By operating aircraft that are registered, staffed, and insured in Ethiopia, Russian airlines could legally fly Western-made jets—including Boeing and Airbus models—despite being cut off from direct purchases, spare parts, and servicing due to international sanctions.

However, Ethiopian Airlines swiftly poured cold water on the plan. In a direct denial issued to the press, the airline rejected any involvement or intent to pursue such an agreement. That leaves Russia’s scheme not only grounded, but publicly rebuffed by a country it likely hoped would quietly cooperate.

For Moscow, the optics are brutal. Once a global power with a formidable aerospace presence, Russia now finds itself begging for aircraft from developing nations only to be turned away. It’s a humiliating reflection of how far the country has fallen in the international aviation sector.

The stakes were high. Russian carriers, starved of parts and aircraft, are operating at unsustainable capacity with some routes reaching 96% occupancy. With domestic aircraft like the Sukhoi Superjet and MC-21 failing to scale or perform, the Kremlin is left scavenging for lifelines in what it calls “friendly” nations.

But even supposed friends are wary. Ethiopian Airlines, a major player in African aviation with critical ties to Europe and North America, clearly understands the risk. Any agreement with sanctioned Russian entities could trigger secondary sanctions and jeopardize its international routes—an economic suicide Ethiopia isn’t willing to entertain on Moscow’s behalf.

Russia’s attempt to frame the outreach as mutual cooperation only underscores its isolation. In contrast to Iran or North Korea—two of Russia’s most notorious partners—Ethiopia still maintains a balancing act between global powers. And unlike Tehran or Pyongyang, Addis Ababa has no intention of torching its standing on the world stage for the sake of Russia’s flailing aviation sector.

This failed overture is just the latest in a broader pattern of Russia seeking out countries on the geopolitical periphery to sustain its crumbling infrastructure.

Ethiopia’s denial leaves Russia not only empty-handed, but exposed, reminding the world that isolation isn’t just a policy outcome for the Kremlin anymore. It’s a reality.