According to an investigation by the Associated Press, some young African women have been lured by online recruitment program “Alabuga Start” advertisements, setting off on a journey to Russia with dreams of “Europe.” However, upon arrival, they discovered that what awaited them was not the promised “scholarship program in the hospitality and food industry,” but rather assembling Iranian-designed drones at a weapons factory.
These social media advertisements targeted young African women, promising them free airfare, money, and opportunities for business expansion in Europe if they completed a computer game and a 100-word vocabulary test in Russian. However, upon arriving at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, they realized that the recruitment ads were nothing but a trap.
The Associated Press analyzed satellite imagery of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone and leaked internal documents, interviewed six African women working there, and sifted through hundreds of videos from the “Alabuga Start” online recruitment program, trying to piece together the reality of their lives in this factory.
To address the shortage of labor during wartime, Russia is recruiting young women aged 18 to 22 from countries in Africa like Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and South Ossetia to produce drones at weapon factories. Currently, recruitment efforts are expanding to other regions in Asia and Latin America.
At a military factory located in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia, approximately 200 African women are involved in the production of crucial weapons for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, specifically the Shahed-136 drones.
Several women interviewed by the Associated Press expressed that they were not only under constant surveillance but also the promised wages and educational opportunities outlined in the factory’s advertisements were not realized. They also suffered skin irritation and rashes due to exposure to corrosive chemicals at work.
“I had no idea how to assemble drones,” said one woman who had given up her job in Africa for this opportunity.
This woman had excitedly documented her journey from Africa to Russia, taking selfies at the airport, recording airplane meals and in-flight maps, and emphasizing the word “Europe” with her neatly manicured long nails.
However, upon arriving at Alabuga, she quickly learned what she was expected to do next and realized that it was a “trap.”
“All this company does is manufacture drones,” said the woman responsible for assembling drone bodies, expressing regret and cursing the job from day one.
In 2022, Russia signed a $1.7 billion arms deal with Iran. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the imported UAVs from Iran became important weapons on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Established in 2006, the Alabuga Special Economic Zone saw accelerated development after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with some businesses shifting towards weapon production.
Originally, the Iranian Shahed-136 drones were disassembled and shipped to Russia, but the production line was later transferred to Alabuga, and potentially to another factory as well.
According to leaked documents and data from the Washington-based think tank Science and International Security Institute, Alabuga is the manufacturing plant for Russia’s production of one-way exploding drones, with plans to produce 6,000 annually by 2025.
David Albright, chairman of the Science and International Security Institute, stated that Alabuga’s production goal has been surpassed, with 4,500 drones already manufactured.
Experts and the Associated Press investigation revealed that Alabuga is the only Russian weapon production facility recruiting female workers from Africa, Asia, and South America.
Albright mentioned that around 90% of foreign women recruited through the “Alabuga Start” program are involved in drone production, specifically in the less technical aspects.
A leaked document from last year, confirmed by Albright and another UAV expert, detailed plans for expanding the workforce from under 900 employees in 2023 to over 2,600 by 2025.
These documents indicated that foreign women are primarily involved in assembling drones, handling chemicals, and painting.
According to the Facebook page promoting the “Alabuga Start” program, 182 women were recruited in the first half of this year, mainly from Central and East African countries. The project also recruits personnel in South America and Asia under the guise of “helping women advance in their careers.”
Messages on the “Alabuga Telegram” channel revealed that Russian authorities held recruitment events in Uganda and attempted to recruit personnel from orphanages in the country. Russian officials also visited over 26 foreign embassies in Moscow to push this initiative.
Although the program does not specify why it does not recruit older women or men, some analysts believe that Russian officials may consider young women easier to control. A leaked document indicated that the assembly lines were segregated and used derogatory terms to refer to African workers.
According to the Associated Press investigation, the drone factory in Alabuga also recruits workers from the nearby Alabuga Polytechnic, a residential vocational school, enrolling Russians aged 16-18 and Central Asians aged 18-22, promoting graduates as “drone production experts.”