Despite being exposed to corrosive chemicals without any protective equipment, female workers reported experiencing severe facial itching. This situation has raised eyebrows as they had been lured under the pretense of embarking on a European adventure, courtesy of advertisements on social media. According to an Associated Press report, these ads promised African women free flights, money, and an exciting journey, begging them to complete a computer game and a test of 100 Russian vocabulary words. However, the reality turned out to be starkly different—those who believed the promise ended up working in a factory in the Tatarstan region of Russia, producing Iranian-designed weapons.
To address workforce shortages caused by the ongoing war, the Kremlin has been actively recruiting young women, aged 18 to 22, from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, with intentions to expand recruitment into Asia and Latin America. This effort has resulted in approximately 200 African women being employed in key weapon factories around Moscow, working alongside Russian vocational students as young as 16, in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, about 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow.
The online recruitment initiative is called “Alabuga Start.” One woman who left her job at home expressed her disillusionment, initially excited to document her journey with selfies at the airport and photos of in-flight meals. However, upon arriving in Alabuga, she realized it was a trap. “This company focuses on drone manufacturing, but I had no idea how to actually make drones,” she lamented.
Clues about their actual work were minimal, hinted at by vocabulary test words like “factory,” “fixed,” and “unfasten.” The workers report being monitored both at their dormitories and on the job, facing long hours and wages that fell short of expectations, with restrictions on leaving the premises.
With the unemployment rate reaching historic lows and many Russian workers absorbed into military enterprises, the factory has resorted to hiring cheap foreign labor in tandem with local vocational students. Documents revealed in 2023 indicate that the number of foreign workers, which stood at fewer than 900 in 2023, is expected to exceed 2,600 by 2025. Women are tasked with assembling drones and handling hazardous chemicals.
According to the Alabuga Start Facebook page, by mid-2024, 182 women had already been recruited, most hailing from Central and East African countries, while recruitment efforts are also underway in South America and Asia. Additionally, Alabuga’s Telegram channel indicated recruitment activities at orphanages in Uganda, while Russian officials have visited 26 embassies in Moscow to promote this initiative.
The factory is also actively recruiting students from the nearby Alabuga Technical College, focusing on Russian students aged 16 to 18 and Central Asian individuals aged 18 to 22. Graduates of this program are humorously dubbed “drone production specialists,” though some are merely 15 years old and are subjected to harsh working conditions.
Several women have reported that all communications are monitored, with employees instructed not to discuss work with outsiders and to report on colleagues. New recruits are learning to assemble drones, applying a thick, yogurt-like corrosive substance on the bodies. The lack of protective gear has led many to experience severe itching on their faces.
Most women surveyed expressed disappointment with their wages. Recruiters initially promised $700 a month, only to later adjust this to “over $500” on social media. After deductions for housing, flights, medical care, and Russian language classes, the remaining amount is insufficient to cover basic expenses like bus fare.
One assembly worker described the situation plainly: African women are “being treated like donkeys, enslaved.” Due to economic sanctions affecting the Russian banking sector, transferring wages back home has become a challenge, with the maximum amount they can send to families capped at $150 a month. Additionally, four women complained about 12-hour shifts.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, noted that if recruitment is fraudulent and aimed at exploitation, it meets the criteria for human trafficking as outlined in the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.
