Landlocked African nation set to complete major naval facility with Russian support
Ethiopia is nearing completion of its Navy Headquarters in Addis Ababa, despite being landlocked.
The facility spans three hectares and includes various administrative and support structures.
A naval cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2025 to support naval development.
According to Sputnik Africa, Ethiopia's naval facility in Addis Ababa's Janmeda area is reportedly 95% complete.
The 3-hectare site boasts a four-story complex that will house administrative offices, a medical clinic, meeting halls, sports facilities, and other support infrastructure, with the project on track for completion as scheduled.
This development is part of Ethiopia's broader strategy to reassert itself as a regional power in the Horn of Africa.
Despite being landlocked since Eritrea's independence in 1993, Ethiopian authorities argue that maritime capabilities are crucial for safeguarding trade routes, responding to global maritime threats, and ensuring access to international waters via allied ports in Djibouti and Sudan.
Ethiopia's deal with Russia
Recall that in March 2025, Ethiopia signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian government to support naval development and training.
This deal follows the collapse of a previous naval partnership with France, which was initiated in 2018 after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced plans to revive the country's naval forces.
The Russo-Ethiopian partnership was forged during a high-level visit by Russian Deputy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vorobyev to Ethiopian naval facilities and a training center in Bishoftu, where he pledged Moscow's support for training personnel and enhancing Ethiopia's naval capabilities.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of growing Russian military engagement across Africa. Beyond Ethiopia, Moscow has been expanding its presence in countries like Mali, supplying heavy armored vehicles and reportedly building up military infrastructure.
Analysts see Ethiopia's renewed focus on naval power as part of a broader shift in its defense and foreign policy. While critics question the practicality of naval operations for a landlocked state, Ethiopian officials argue that a well-trained navy is vital for national security and regional stability.
Historically, Ethiopia maintained a naval force until 1993, with access to the Red Sea via Eritrea.
Since losing its coastline, the country has relied heavily on the Port of Djibouti for maritime trade. The current initiative signals an effort to rebuild long-lost capabilities and adapt to the evolving regional security landscape.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
2 minutes ago
- CNBC
Asia markets set to open mixed after Trump vows to significantly raise tariffs on India
Bombay Gate Gateway of India, Mumbai Arutthaphon Poolsawasd | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets are expected to open mixed after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to raise tariffs on Indian exports to the country significantly. "India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social. "They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," he continued. Happy Tuesday from Singapore. Asia markets are poised for a mixed open. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day higher with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,701, compared with its last close of 8,663.70. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Osaka last traded at 40,610 against the index's last close of 40,290.70. However, futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index stood at 24,708 pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI's last close of 24,733.45. — Lee Ying Shan All the three major averages soared into the green on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average recouping its losses from Friday's session. The blue-chip index climbed 585.06 points, or 1.34%, to finish the day at 44,173.64. Additionally, the broad market S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rocketed higher by 1.47% and 1.95%, ending at 6,329.94 and 21,053.58, respectively. — Sean Conlon
Boston Globe
31 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Russia warns against threats after Trump repositions nuclear submarines
Peskov's remarks, the first official statement from the Kremlin about Trump's move, seemed to distance Russian President Vladimir Putin from Medvedev, a longtime prime minister under Putin who now serves as deputy chairman of the country's Security Council. Advertisement 'On the whole, certainly, we absolutely wouldn't like to engage in such polemics, nor would we like to comment on that in any way,' Peskov said, responding to a question about Trump's announcement of nuclear submarine movements. 'There can be no winner in a nuclear war,' Peskov added. 'This is probably the key premise we rely on. We do not think there is talk of any escalation.' Since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has often intimated that Moscow could deploy nuclear weapons, while other officials, including Medvedev, and commentators close to the Kremlin have issued hyperbolic threats referencing Russia's nuclear arsenal, which is the world's largest. Peskov's effort to play down the confrontation comes ahead of a likely visit to Russia this week by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, who has met Putin four times in a so-far-unsuccessful bid to halt Russia's war. Advertisement Trump told reporters Sunday that the submarines are 'in the region.' Last week, responding to Medvedev on social media, Trump denounced the Russian's 'highly provocative statements,' which he said led him to dispatch the submarines 'just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences,' Trump continued, capping an intensifying exchange. 'I hope this will not be one of those instances.' Medvedev, whose relevance in Russia has waned since he left the prime minister's office in 2020, now often plays the role of social media provocateur. Russia's nuclear arsenal is central to Putin's effort to posture the country as a global power and to reinforce his conviction, shared by many Russian citizens, that Russia can never be defeated in war. On Sunday, Trump said he may send Witkoff to Russia on Wednesday or Thursday at Moscow's request, before imposing new sanctions. Trump has cautioned that the new sanctions would probably not deter Russia's war effort. After Trump last week shortened the deadline for agreement on a cease-fire in Ukraine to Aug. 8, Medvedev warned on social media that every Trump ultimatum was a step closer to war between the United States and Russia. Trump admonished Medvedev to 'watch his words'; then Medvedev responded on Thursday with an emoji of laughter through tears and the nuclear threat, warning Trump of the dangers of the 'Dead Hand.' On Friday afternoon, Trump said he would reposition two nuclear submarines. 'A threat was made … so we just have to be very careful,' he said, referring to Medvedev, adding: 'We're going to protect our people.' Advertisement Peskov distanced himself Monday from Medvedev's rhetoric, saying people should look to Putin instead. 'In our country, foreign policy is formulated by the head of state, President Putin,' Peskov said. He declined to comment on whether the Kremlin would tell Medvedev to tone down his rhetoric. Russia has sharpened its tone toward Trump in recent weeks after US officials indicated he is running out of patience with Putin's reluctance to compromise on his maximalist conditions to end the war, despite key concessions suggested by the United States, including keeping Ukraine out of NATO and allowing Moscow to keep the territory it has annexed illegally in Ukraine. In his meetings with Putin and other Russians, Witkoff has at times appeared to misread the Kremlin's demands, commenting that he saw Russia's retention of the territories it occupies as key to the war's resolution. Putin, however, consistently insists on a broader subjugation of Ukraine, including slashing the size of its military, effectively undercutting Ukrainian sovereignty. On Friday, Putin said in a comment that appeared directed at Trump that Russia's conditions to end the war had not changed and declared that any disappointment about the peace process was due to 'excessive expectations.' Putin said Russia's massive losses in Ukraine — likely this summer to reach 1 million soldiers killed or wounded, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies — were not in vain. 'We do not have a single loss in vain,' he told journalists on Valaam Island in northwestern Russia after visiting a monastery. Since the 2022 invasion, Moscow has calibrated its nuclear threat to deter Western support for Ukraine, in particular deliveries of Western missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Denied those, Ukraine has used drone strikes on distant targets. Advertisement These threats have at times been delivered directly by Putin, but also at other times by senior Russian officials who offer a level of deniability, including Medvedev. Pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov on Sunday wrote that Witkoff's likely visit was the 'last chance' to reach an agreement between Moscow and Washington before Trump's deadline on a cease-fire expires Aug. 8. He wrote on Telegram that Putin may offer a partial cease-fire, ending missile and drone attacks.
San Francisco Chronicle
43 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bondi moves forward on Justice Department investigation into origins of Trump-Russia probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed that the Justice Department move forward with a probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation following the recent release of documents aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the inquiry that established that Moscow interfered on the Republican's behalf in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Bondi has directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury after referrals from the Trump administration's top intelligence official, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. That person was not authorized to discuss it by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Fox News first reported the development. It was not clear which former officials might be the target of any grand jury activity, where the grand jury that might ultimately hear evidence will be located or which prosecutors — whether career employees or political appointees — might be involved in pursuing the investigation. It was also not clear what precise claims of misconduct Trump administration officials believe could form the basis of criminal charges, which a grand jury would have to sign off on for an indictment to be issued. The development is likely to heighten concerns that the Justice Department is being used to achieve political ends, given longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation voiced by President Donald Trump, who has called for the jailing of perceived political adversaries. Any criminal investigation would revisit one of the most dissected chapters of modern American political history. It is also surfacing at a time when the Trump administration is being buffeted by criticism over its handling of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The investigation into Russian election interference resulted in the appointment of a special counsel, Robert Mueller, who secured multiple convictions against Trump aides and allies but did not establish proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign. The inquiry shadowed much of Trump's first term and he has long focused his ire on senior officials from the intelligence and law enforcement community, including former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired in May 2017, and former CIA Director John Brennan. The Justice Department appeared to confirm an investigation into both men in an unusual statement last month but offered no details. Multiple special counsels, congressional committees and the Justice Department's own inspector general have studied and documented a multi-pronged effort by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on Trump's behalf, including through a hack-and-leak dump of Democratic emails and a covert social media operation aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion. But that conclusion has been aggressively challenged in recent weeks as Trump's director of national intelligence and other allies have released previously classified records that they hope will cast doubt on the extent of Russian interference and establish an Obama administration effort to falsely link Trump to Russia. In one batch of documents released last month, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, disclosed emails showing that senior Obama administration officials were aware in 2016 that Russians had not hacked state election systems to manipulate the votes in Trump's favor. But President Barack Obama's administration never alleged that votes were tampered with and instead detailed other forms of election interference and foreign influence. A new outcry surfaced last week when Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a set of documents that FBI Director Kash Patel claimed on social media proved that the 'Clinton campaign plotted to frame President Trump and fabricate the Russia collusion hoax.' The documents were part of a classified annex of a report issued in 2023 by John Durham, the special counsel who was appointed during the first Trump administration to hunt for any government misconduct during the Russia investigation. Durham did identify significant flaws in the investigation but uncovered no bombshells to disprove the existence of Russian election interference. His sprawling probe produced three criminal cases; two resulted in acquittals and the third was a guilty plea from a little-known FBI lawyer to a charge of making a false statement. Republicans seized on a July 27, 2016, email in Durham's newly declassified annex that purported to say that Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic candidate for president, had approved a plan during the heat of the campaign to link Trump with Russia. But the purported author of the email, a senior official at a philanthropic organization founded by billionaire investor George Soros, told Durham's team he had never sent the email and the alleged recipient said she never called receiving it. Durham's own report took pain to note that investigators had not corroborated the communications as authentic and said the best assessment was that the message was 'a composites of several emails" the Russians had obtained from hacking — raising the likelihood of Russian disinformation. The FBI's Russia investigation was opened on July 31, 2016, following a tip that a Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had told a Russian diplomat that Russia was in possession of dirt on Clinton.
