AROUND 200 women, aged between 18 and 22, from various African countries have been recruited to work in a Russian factory, assembling Iranian-designed attack drones destined for Ukraine. These women, many from countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, were lured with promises of a work-study programme but now describe a harsh reality of long hours, constant surveillance, and broken promises regarding pay and education.
Dangerous working conditions and long hours under surveillance
In interviews with the Associated Press (AP), some of the women revealed that they were misled about the nature of the work. Instead of receiving an education or vocational training, they have been assembling thousands of one-way explosive drones at a factory in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, around 1,000 kilometres east of Moscow. Many of the women are employed in dangerous conditions, working with harmful chemicals that have left some with skin problems, such as itching and pockmarked faces.
Satellite images analysed by AP reveal that the factory has expanded rapidly since 2022 and is now Russia’s main production facility for drones. This facility, central to a $1.7 billion deal signed between Russia and Iran, aims to produce 6,000 drones a year by 2025. The drones, once produced, are used by Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, launched after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the neighbouring country in 2022.
Alabuga Start recruitment campaign misleads workers
Facing a labour shortage due to the war, Russia has expanded its recruitment drive beyond Africa to include South Asia and Latin America. The programme, called ‘Alabuga Start,’ uses an extensive social media campaign to target young women, portraying the scheme as an opportunity for career development and cultural exchange. However, many of those recruited quickly discover that the reality is starkly different from what was advertised.
According to interviews conducted by the AP, the women describe life in the factory as highly controlled. Foreign workers are bused from their dormitories to the factory, passing through multiple security checkpoints. Inside the factory, they work 12-hour shifts under constant surveillance and are not allowed to bring phones or other personal devices. One woman suggested her messages were being monitored, making it difficult to speak openly about their situation.
The women’s tasks include assembling drones and coating them with a caustic substance that several workers said burned their skin. Protective gear, such as gloves or masks, is often inadequate or unavailable. One worker explained that the chemicals made her face feel as if it were being pricked by tiny needles, and small holes began to appear on her skin, causing persistent itching. Despite these conditions, management discourages workers from leaving the plant.
The women also reported discrepancies in the wages they were promised. Initially, the programme offered them $700 a month, but this was later reduced to ‘over $500.’ Some women explained that due to international banking sanctions on Russia, they could only send home small portions of their pay—sometimes as little as $150 per month. Although a few workers said they were satisfied with the cultural experience and the money they earned, the majority expressed disappointment, saying that the conditions fell far short of what they had been led to expect.
Russia’s drone output boosted by recruited African labour
The recruitment campaign has drawn the attention of human rights organisations. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, suggested that Russia’s actions ‘could potentially fulfil the criteria of trafficking if the recruitment is fraudulent and the purpose is exploitation.’ She emphasised the vulnerability of migrant workers, particularly women, in such situations. The Ugandan government, whose citizens have been recruited for the programme, expressed concern over the women’s treatment. Betty Amongi, Uganda’s minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, confirmed that her ministry had raised concerns with the Ugandan embassy in Moscow, specifically questioning the safety and well-being of the women.
The Alabuga factory is a key part of Russia’s drone production line, and the influx of foreign workers has significantly boosted output. Since Russia started launching Iranian-imported drones in late 2022, almost 4,000 drones have been fired into Ukraine. However, data gathered by Ukraine’s military and analysed by AP show that around 95 percent of these drones fail to hit their intended targets, either due to Ukraine’s improved air defences or potential issues with the quality of the drones themselves. The failure rate could also be attributed to the use of unskilled labour in assembling the drones.
The Alabuga Start programme, which is heavily promoted on social media, portrays the factory as a place where young women can gain skills and experience while earning good wages. The campaign includes professionally edited videos of smiling African women visiting cultural sites and working in clean factory settings, often without mentioning the factory’s role in drone production. The programme was initially advertised as a work-study opportunity, but recent posts now explicitly state that it “is NOT an educational programme,” a sharp contrast to what was originally promised.
Despite these concerns, the recruitment campaign continues to expand. Social media influencers have been hired to promote the programme on platforms like TikTok, emphasising the financial benefits and downplaying the working conditions.
Growing scrutiny over Russia’s use of foreign labour in Ukraine war
As the factory increases production, the involvement of African women has raised serious ethical questions. Human rights organisations and governments are calling for greater transparency and protection for the workers. While some women remain at the factory, others have managed to leave, but many say they are discouraged from doing so by management. The future of the workers and the programme remains uncertain as international scrutiny grows over Russia’s recruitment and use of foreign labour in its war effort.
This situation highlights broader concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable workers in conflict zones, raising important questions about the ethics of labour practices in such high-stakes industries.
