Russia recruits women from Africa, Asia and Latin America for drone production – foreign intelligence

Russia is actively expanding recruitment for drone production in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, using the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan as the center of the program. About reports The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

According to intelligence reports, young women from poor countries are offered high salaries and career prospects, but are not informed that they are working in the production of attack drones used against Ukraine.

In 2024, representatives from 44 countries participated in the Start program, including Mozambique, Colombia, Mali, and Sri Lanka. The target for 2025 is 77 countries.

In South Africa, BRICS structures were used for recruitment. The Ministry of Women's Affairs called on young people to be "vigilant" and the authorities launched an investigation into the activities of Russian companies.

"The local branch of the BRICS Women's Business Alliance has signed an agreement to find 5,600 employees for Alabuga. In January, the BRICS Student Commission distributed job announcements, and bloggers on Instagram and TikTok were engaged in promotion," the NWR reports.

The intelligence notes that Russia is facing a labor shortage due to mobilization, demographic decline, and restrictions on labor migration from Central Asia.

"Alabuga is building housing for 41,000 people, indicating large-scale plans to produce drones. More than 90% of the participants of the Start program are already working in this sector.

In 2024, there were cases where African women were lured with the promise of paid internships in the hotel industry, and upon arrival were forced to assemble drones for less than half the salary and in inhumane conditions.

This year, Interpol launched an investigation in Botswana into Alabuga Start on suspicion of human trafficking. Also in Argentina, a lawsuit was filed against two former participants of the TV show who filmed advertisements for the program.

• In recent years, the occupiers have been attracting mercenaries from other countries in Africa and Asia. In 2024, the Ukrainian National Resistance Center published a scheme of how the invaders recruit foreign students for the war against Ukraine.
• In June 2025, The Telegraph wrote that Russia recruits an African for war. He was promised a job at a shampoo factory in Moscow.