By Richard Lamu
The Alabuga Start Programme, a Russian initiative, has been recruiting young African women, including those from Zambia, aged 18-22, into jobs in Alabuga, Russia. The social media adverts seen promise a free plane ticket, money, and a European adventure, requiring only a computer game and a 100-word Russian vocabulary test to qualify.
However, investigations have revealed that these women are being exploited and forced to work in drone factories, assembling attack drones destined for Ukraine. The women have reported long hours under constant surveillance, broken promises about wages and areas of study, and exposure to caustic chemicals that have left their skin pockmarked and itching, according to investigative reports.
Zambia’s Kamfinsa area member of parliament Christopher Kang’ombe has expressed shock at the revelations, calling for urgent probe and a statement from the government over the matter while the Non-Government Organisations Coordinating Committee has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding answers to the revelations.
One African woman, who abandoned her job at home to take the Russian offer, confessed, “I don’t really know how to make drones.” The programme’s true intentions and the conditions faced by these women raise serious concerns about human rights abuses and exploitation.
Google, Meta and TikTok have since removed social media accounts belonging to an industrial plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region which is recruiting young foreign women to make drones for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Posts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok were taken down following an investigation by The Associated Press published October 10 that detailed working conditions in the drone factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, which is under U.S. and British sanctions.
Videos and other posts on the social media platforms promised the young women, who are largely from Africa, a free plane ticket to Russia and a salary of more than $500 a month following their recruitment via the program called “Alabuga Start.”
But instead of a work-study program in areas like hospitality and catering, some of them said they learned only arriving in the Tatarstan region that they would be toiling in a factory to make weapons of war, assembling thousands of Iranian-designed attack drones to be launched into Ukraine.
In interviews with AP, some of the women who worked in the complex complained of long hours under constant surveillance, of broken promises about wages and areas of study, and of working with caustic chemicals that left their skin pockmarked and itching. AP did not identify them by name or nationality out of concern for their safety.
Russia’s Alabuga SEZ program has been embroided in controversy surrounding the recruitment and alleged exploitation of young African women.
A Zambian publication, the Zambian Eye, however, hailed it as “a life changing opportunity,” while investigations and research show otherwise.
Promotional materials advertise study and work opportunities, but participants are said forced into drone production, working long hours without adequate protection or fair pay, several reports by Associated Press and other media have revealed.
Russia’s history of human trafficking has raised concern that these women may be trapped, with little or no chance of leaving, with risks of attack by Ukraine in its counter-attack efforts against Russia. A Ukrainian attack on Alabuga SEZ in April 2024 highlights the risks of being in a warzone, and yet all that is ignored.
In Zambia, four girls are reportedly among those currently in Alabuga from different parts of Africa.
A call to Zambia’s decision makers, human rights activists and key government players showed how unaware the country is about the Alabuga recruitment programme.
Kang’ombe, a prominent young member of parliament, is calling on the Zambian government to take action.
“The government must know if people are leaving Zambia for Russia, India, or Dubai, as these opportunities are publicly advertised online, so if truly this is happening then the government is aware,” Kang’ombe said.
He said that it is crucial for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate and provide statistics on whether young Zambians are being forced to manufacture drones abroad.
“In fact, I am challenging government to clarify its position on these programs, to ensure that Zambian citizens are safe. If allegations are true, the government must issue a statement, providing facts to support their stance. This will enable us to address the issue effectively,” said Kang’ombe.
Human rights activist Brebner Changala has expressed shock and outrage over the program, condemning it in its entirety.
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. We’re living in an environment where youths are desperate for anything, making them easy targets, the government must act now to safeguard their well being,” Changala said.
He labeled the program “criminal” and urged immediate action.
“The whole program is full of criminality and must be stopped. Just when these adverts are being spread across, the ministries in charge should ensure people are warned and prevented from applying,” Changala added, and challenged the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs to respond swiftly.
“These ministries must take responsibility and protect our citizens. They should investigate, alert the public, and prevent further exploitation. In fact, they were supposed to know about all this.
And NGOCC board chairperson Grace Sinkamba has condemned the alleged exploitation of African girls in Russia.
She said if true, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should look into the matter and accord it the urgency it deserves.
“We have written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are waiting on their response, but we wouldn’t give a comprehensive response because we don’t want to sour Zambia’s international relations, but we are extremely worried that there’s such going in,” said Mrs Sinkamba.
A Recent report by the Institute of Science and International Security based in Washington DC also raised serious concerns about Russia’s Alabuga skilling programme.
However, some other key governance players, including female opposition party leaders in Zambia, have failed to comment on the issue, raising even more concern and questions about their silence.
Opposition Heritage Party president Chishala Kateka after knowing about the allegations on the program refrained from commenting.
“I’ve done my research and I’ve also spoken to my team. We have resolved not to comment on this issue, we cannot react to it, sorry,” she said.
In Uganda, 60 females out of 500 were selected to be part of the program and are currently in Russia, Alabuga, Ungandan western region youth Member of parliament MP Edward Rugumayo confirmed when he flew to Russia.
In an interview with New Vision, Rugumayo said his trip to the factory was to let him have a feel of what was happening in the Alabuga programme.
The youth MP said he, however, heard rumours that the young people were being recruited to work in the plants that manufacture the Shahed drones.
“When I was there I saw them working on tractor assembling pipelines. I did not see any military plant. I cannot confirm or know that they were manufacturing military equipment. I
think it is a tabloid report from the Western-Eastern information war. At first, Russia was interested in taking so many people but because the project coincided with war, we were careful that the project was halted until the situation normalised. There was even a
drone attack by Ukraine on the region,” he said.
The Youth MP revealed that out of over 500 applicants, only 60 students went.
“We asked that they stop until the situation normalizes, then the project can continue. We told the minister that let us be careful so that we do not find ourselves having to bring back the
students when the war escalates,” he said, acknowledging the risks the programme poses.