This has fuelled concerns that many are being drawn into supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, the Alabuga plant in Tatarstan produces up to 200 Iranian-style Shahed drones per month.
Recruits are promised good salaries, education and career opportunities. But watchdogs say many are misled, and end up assembling drones used in strikes on Ukraine.
The factory has been targeting poor, young women from across Africa to manufacture drones. The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security noted that women are considered more reliable than men for this type of work.
Bloomberg’s source said the South African government has now launched a probe to determine the Russian company’s true intentions.
“The South African government is actively investigating reports of foreign programmes in Russia that recruit South Africans under false pretenses,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation told Bloomberg.
“The government has noted the alleged recruitment of youth by the Alabuga company.”
While no credible evidence has yet been found, officials in Pretoria may also summon Russian diplomats for explanations.
A recruitment drive with links to South Africa
In May, the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance signed an agreement to provide 5 600 workers to Alabuga and a Russian construction firm.
Earlier this year, the BRICS Student Commission advertised jobs in hospitality and construction at Alabuga for women aged 18–22.
These offers were promoted by local influencers on Instagram and TikTok.
Why is Russia outsourcing labour?
Russia is grappling with a shrinking labour force, strained further by population decline, the drafting of hundreds of thousands of men for the war in Ukraine, tighter limits on migrant workers from Central Asia, and the departure of many citizens opposed to the war.
South Africa, on the other hand, has the opposite problem – about a third of its working-age population is jobless.
While the Alabuga Start program invites young people to build a career, the Institute for Science and International Security says 90% of participants are deceived and end up assembling drones.
AP and The Wall Street Journal have also published testimonies from young African women who said they were misled into grueling assembly-line work with low pay and no protective gear.
Did you know about this drone programme?
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