Russia to donate jet fighters to Sudan in exchange for naval base

Sudan and Russia have resumed discussions over a deal under which Moscow would provide Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets in exchange for rights to a naval logistics facility on the Red Sea, Military Watch Magazine reported.

Russia’s plans for establishing a logistical hub in Port Sudan have been delayed indefinitely due to conflict, halting active construction efforts for now.

Under the original terms, the hub would support naval operations near the Suez Canal, an essential global trade route. However, the outcome of the negotiation remains unclear due to Sudan’s internal conflicts and international calls for a ceasefire resolution.

The development comes as Russia pushes to establish a permanent naval base in Africa, while Sudan seeks additional weapons for its ongoing conflict, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire from Western powers, particularly the United States.

Plans to procure Su-35 fighter jets were first reported in late 2017, following a visit to Moscow by then-President Omar al-Bashir.

Those plans were disrupted after his government was overthrown in early 2019 amid riots and a Western-backed coup.

The current discussions are seen as a renegotiation of a long-delayed agreement originally reached in 2020, which had been postponed due to political instability and, later, by the outbreak of war in Sudan.

In November, Business Insider Africa reported that Russia’s long-planned naval base in Port Sudan, its first permanent foothold in Africa since the Soviet era, has been suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing civil war.

Russian Ambassador to Sudan Andrey Chernovol confirmed the pause, saying: “Given the current military conflict, movement on this issue has for now been halted.”

The report also noted that Russia had formally stepped back from active construction planning, prompting a reassessment of the deal rather than its cancellation.

Under the original agreement, Russia would have been allowed to establish a logistics hub at Port Sudan, capable of hosting up to four warships and about 300 personnel.

The deal also granted Moscow the right to bring in weapons, ammunition, air-defence systems, and electronic warfare equipment to support naval operations.

The location on the Red Sea would place the facility near the Suez Canal, a major global shipping route that carries about 10 percent of worldwide maritime trade.

The outcome of the renewed negotiations remains uncertain and will depend on security conditions and the final terms agreed by both sides, even as the Rapid Support Forces have reportedly expressed support for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which has not yet been accepted by the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Source; Open Newswire @ Russia to donate jet fighters to Sudan in exchange for naval base – Radio Tamazuj