Women from Africa assemble Putin's autonomous deadly unmanned aerial vehicles.
Russian Arms Factories Enlist African Women for Kamikaze Drone Production
In an alarming development, young African women are being covertly employed in Russian arms factories to produce deadly kamikaze drones for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Feeding on a labor shortage, the Russian government is offering recruits training under the guise of a vocational program, luring them with promises of jobs and financial aid.
Russia's unemployment rate is historically low, sitting at just 2.5 percent. However, the country is grappling with a Labor gap, with millions of unfilled positions in various sectors, including the arms industry, due to the population’s natural decline since the 1990s. The exodus of highly skilled Russian workers from the Ukraine conflict and the ongoing war itself are exacerbating the shortage.
Tatarstan, a region renowned for military product manufacturing, is recruiting women from various African nations such as Uganda, Botswana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. In addition to African countries, Russia is attracting workers from Asia and Latin America, including Sri Lanka.
The program, known as Alabuga Start, operates under the pretext of providing foreigners with two-year training in either the hospitality industry or technical production. It guarantees a paid position upon completion of the program, boasting of a vocational school in Alabuga's Special Economic Zone.
However, a deeper investigation reveals that many African women are coerced into working in the drone production factories under grueling conditions. They work long hours, up to 12-hours shifts, in hazardous, unsupervised environments with minimal protective gear. moreover, they are exposed to caustic chemicals and suffer from abusive treatment, among other concerns.
The program's recruitment tactics are deceptive, as these young women are not informed that they would be working in the military manufacturing sector, and especially involved in the production of kamikaze drones used in war zones. In addition, the program takes advantage of Russia's diplomatic reach established in Soviet times, deploying officials to over 26 African embassies to attract workers.
In December 2022, an attack on a drone factory in Alabuga inadvertently targeted a dormitory housing factory workers, injuring at least 13, exemplifying the inherent risks faced by these vulnerable women.
Reports from independent sources and whistleblowers, as well as INTERPOL investigations, have highlighted the suspected human trafficking and labor exploitation practices driving this war economy sector, with hundreds of young African women being reluctantly entangled in the production of weapons of warfare. The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has recently denied such allegations, arguing that they are baseless and unfair propaganda.
Overall, the Alabuga Start program exploits women through deceptive recruitment, forcing them under harsh conditions to contribute to Russia's war economy by producing military drones, raising serious concerns about labor exploitation, human trafficking, and the woeful disregard for the welfare of these vulnerable women.
- EC countries are urged to implement stricter employment policies regarding participation in the arms industry, following reports of coercion and labor exploitation of African women in Russia's drone production factories.
- Amidst the ongoing employment crisis in various sectors, particularly the arms industry, EC countries should introduce measures to attract and retain skilled workers, reducing the dependence on foreign labor.
- Several international organizations call for urgent investigations into Russia's labor practices in the manufacturing industry, especially in light of allegations of human trafficking and abuse of African women producing kamikaze drones for war use.
- Technology and finance companies, aiming to responsibly source labor, can appeal to women from developing nations by offering training, employment opportunities, and ethical working conditions in their respective industries, thus reducing the attraction towards exploitative programs like Alabuga Start.
- Political leaders and industry experts stress the importance of implementing comprehensive employment policies to ensure the protection of women from forced labor, while providing equal opportunities for career growth outside the military manufacturing sector.
