The recruitment drive, aimed at filling urgent labor shortages in wartime Russia, has put key weapons production in the hands of about 200 inexperienced African women. The Alabuga Special Economic Zone is located about 1,000 km east of Moscow and has become a hub for drone production. According to documents leaked by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, the facility, which expanded quickly after Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, aims at producing 6,000 Shahed 136 drones per year by 2025. Women aged 18-22 are being recruited via social media campaigns that promise European adventure and work study programs. The reality is that many women who arrive in Russia’s Tatarstan discover they are working in a weapons manufacturing facility. Ukraine’s National Resistance Center will manufacture 10,000 Shahed-136 drones per year. The Alabuga Start Program uses slickly-edited videos on social media in order to portray a positive work environment. It shows African women visiting cultural attractions and participating in various activities. They are subjected to constant surveillance at their workplace and in their dormitories, as well as long hours and lower pay. Human Rights Watch has criticised Russia for not fully explaining to foreign recruits the nature of their work. The leaked documents reveal that the assembly line is segregated and a derogatory word was used to refer to African employees, according to AP. Ukraine downs Russia’s Starlink equipped Shahed 136 suicide droneThe Alabuga Factory was hit by a Ukrainian aerial attack in April, which injured at least 12 workers. Despite this, the Russian recruitment efforts continue, with the program expanding to Latin America and other parts of Asia.Uganda’s Minister for Gender, Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi, expressed concerns about the recruitment efforts, particularly regarding the age of the women involved and their potential exploitation.Related:
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