Russia recruits young Africa to manufacture drones used in Ukraine attacks. What salaries do they receive

Hundreds of African young people are brought to Russia with promises of well -paid jobs, but in reality they assemble military drones against Ukraine.

Russia recruits young Africans to build Photo Drone: Alabuga

Russia recruits young African young people to work in factories where the drones used in the Ukraine war are built. The promotional images on the website of the factory in Tatarstan show smiling girls, with Afro tails, who look like students on vacation. In fact, they are workers brought to manually assemble the drones used in Russian air attacks.

These factories are located in the Tatarstan region, 1,500 km from the border with Ukraine. The drones produced here are the same are the same that hit the Ukrainian cities, given that Iran now deliver the components that are increasingly difficult and only in pieces. The White House has published since 2021 satellite images confirming the existence of these factories in Russia.

It is known that Moscow attracts workforce from African countries for jobs that the Russians avoid due to conditions or wages. Unemployment in Russia is 2%, and for men in the poor regions the enrollment in the army is more profitable than a job in a factory, reports.

Recruiting under false promises

An investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde has revealed a network of recruitment of African young people, brought to work in the Russian war industry.

The website Startworld.alabuga.ru, which promotes professional training in the special economic area (SEZ) Alabuga, the best performing area of ​​this type in Russia, detailing all the conditions of employment, except that they will work to assemble drones. Here companies from Russia, but also Chinese, benefit from low or non -existent taxes, and in Alabuga, jobs are offered in various fields, from logistics and hospitality to industry.

For applicants, the requirements are clear: they must be women between the ages of 18 and 22, citizens of one of the 85 accepted countries (most African states, but also countries in the former Soviet Union), have a high school diploma, passport and not suffer from chronic diseases.

Upon arrival, they are subjected to medical control and, if not fit, are rejected. The accommodation is done in special homes in Alabuga, with basic conditions: common rooms equipped with refrigerator, shower, linen and washing machine. The employment contract is promised within two months, and the salary varies between 420 and 680 euros per month.

Young Africans accommodated in special photo homes: Alabuga

A mandatory commitment is the learning of at least one hundred words in Russian, which also explains the promotional images with young people reading in books in Russian.

Geran 2 Drones: Product of Young Work

According to Le Monde, from 2023 hundred African young people manually assemble the parts of the Shahed-136 drone, a modified Iranian drone and equipped with Chinese electronic components. The drones, painted in black, are called Geran 2 and their production has increased significantly in the last two years, about 100 a week.

The Alabuga industrial complex is held by the Tatarstan Republic, but the orders come directly from the Ministry of Defense of Russia. A contract signed at the end of 2023 provided for the delivery of 6,000 drones until September 2025, but until April 2024 4,500 had already been delivered. At the current pace, the threshold of 11,000 drones will be exceeded in a few months.

Evidence from pictures and from the front

The American Institute for International Science and Security has obtained satellite photos from April 2023, after a Ukrainian drone hit buildings in the Alabuga area, including a refinery. The images show destroyed homes, but also two intact halls, protected with anti-dronal metal structures.

Also, internal documents show that the students of the Alabuga Polytechnic Institute were involved in the assembly of drones, many of them being sent to Iran for technical training in 2023.

In parallel, on the front, the Ukrainians captured two caterns near Sork, who said they were recruited for work and medical treatment, but then forced to enlist. They reported that they fought with Africans from Zimbabwe, Asian from Bangladesh and even Chinese.

North Korean workers and new attacks

Recently, North Korea has announced that it is ready to send up to 25,000 workers in Russia, probably in the Alabuga rural area, to support the production of drones.

On June 15, a car factory in Alabuga was hit by an attack with Ukrainian drones. The local governor reported a dead and thirteen injured following the incident.