Young girls from various African countries are reportedly ending up in drone assembly workshops in Russia through a program promising high salaries and education. This is reported by “DW” publication.
It is noted that a 20-year-old girl named Aminata from Sierra Leone is interested in Russia's language and culture. And she comes to the country.
In her interview with “DW” publication, she says she plans to go to Russia through the “Alabuga Start” program. This program promises young people from Africa's poorest countries a job with a salary of at least 860 dollars per month in catering, logistics, and hotel services, as well as Russian language courses.
A Nigerian girl named Chinara, whose name is kept confidential, told “DW” that upon arriving in Russia, she was forced into hard labor in a drone assembly factory.
“We were made to work in harsh conditions, and the pay was much less than what had been promised,” she says.
Some assembled drones, others were in product control, while the rest worked as cleaners.
According to Chinara, they were exposed to dangerous chemicals.
“Even Russians do not work here for long – it’s too dangerous,” she says.
For your information, “Alabuga” is one of the military-industrial centers in Russia, where “Geran-2” drones, based on the Iranian-made Shahed-136, are assembled. These drones are widely used in attacks against Ukraine.
A shortage of labor force in Russia is raising the demand for migrants. However, INTERPOL has initiated an investigation into the possibility that the “Alabuga Star” program may be linked to human trafficking. At the same time, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have also started their investigations.
Despite these situations, program representatives continue to hold meetings with African diplomats and promote the project.
