Russia has launched a large-scale program on the African continent to recruit young women to work in Tatarstan — to assemble strike drones used for attacks on Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Russia has initiated a large-scale program in Africa to recruit young women for assembling strike drones in Tatarstan, raising concerns about the hazardous working conditions and lower wages than promised.
- Young African women are being targeted by unscrupulous 'employers' from Russia who lure them with high-paying jobs but subject them to grueling and dangerous work environments in the Alabuga special economic zone.
Russia recruits African women to work at UAV factory
The Russian Federation is developing a global cooperation program in Africa, and local residents are promised training and work in the Alabuga special economic zone.
It is said that the flyers and advertising materials depict smiling young African women working as technicians and waitresses. However, according to media reports, the reality of life and work at "Alabuz" is much bleaker than the advertising portrays.
The podcast's senior reporter, Anthony Sguazzin, investigated whether the claims about the program were true.
According to the publication, instead of providing real employment opportunities, the program may expose young African women to risk, even working in conditions close to war zones.
Journalists note that young African women are being targeted by unscrupulous "employers" from Russia. In particular, in Tatarstan, they are being forced to work at a factory producing drones (and possibly other munitions) in grueling, dangerous conditions and for much less money than promised.
Job fairs are held for potential workers, one of which was in Botswana, for example. There, a number of vacancies were advertised — offering work and training in the hospitality and repair business.
Participants in the "special program" are recruited for quite decent money (over $800 per month), and women aged 18 to 22 are recruited.
It is noted that in 2025, "employers" plan to lure thousands of women from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Nigeria, and other African countries to Russia. They are attracted by high-paying jobs in Russia and Europe.
According to the investigator, there are testimonies from people who returned after participating in the "project." They claim that they did not live up to the promises, but were forced to work in hazardous industries.
As noted, there are reasonable suspicions that the "products", the production of which involves Africans, are used by the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine. Thus, foreign "specialists" are also exposed to danger from attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for which the military plants of the aggressor country are a legitimate target. Probably, the "recruitment" in Africa is carried out in connection with the increased needs of the Russian labor market, associated with the so-called "SVO".
According to Western media reports, Interpol in Botswana has launched an investigation into the Alabuga Start recruitment program, which promises young African women jobs and training. But in reality, it is linked to human trafficking and the production of military drones. The program operates in Russia's "special economic zone" "Alabuga" in Tatarstan.
Interpol's investigation was launched after the office's staff noticed suspicious recruitment posts on social media. According to a 2024 report by the US Institute for Science and International Security, more than 90% of the women recruited could have been sent to assemble Shahed drones.
