INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A new investigation by the Associated Press details how Russia has lured dozens of young African women to produce drones for its invasion of
16.The AP says that Russia has been targeting women aged 18-22, especially, from countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra
Leone and Nigeria, in addition to places like Sri Lanka and Latin America, as it grapples with a domestic labor shortage fueled by wartime
The videos show African women directing cranes, wearing hard hats, applying paint or chemicals in protective gear, sightseeing in Tatarstan
In the first half of this year, 182 women were recruited, according to a Facebook page that promotes the program.The campaign does not say
enlisted the help of influencers
South African Bassie, who has almost 800,000 Instagram and TikTok followers, said the program was an easy way to make money and encouraged
her followers to share the post with their job-seeking friends.Officials even held recruiting events in Uganda and tried to recruit from
what their actual jobs will be once they arrive
added.The workers travel between the factory and their living quarters by bus, passing through multiple security checks
AP claims that it was sent a video showing another woman wearing an Alabuga uniform with her face similarly affected.Poor treatment and pay
disputesMost of the women interviewed by AP said that life at Alabuga did not meet their expectations
of their accommodation, airfare, medical care and Russian classes were deducted from their salary, leaving them with little money
Initially, the Shahed-136 drones were shipped disassembled to Russia, but production has shifted to Alabuga and possibly another factory
year by 2025, according to the leaked documents and the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security.David Albright, a
former UN weapons inspector who works at the institute, said that the target was ahead of schedule, with Alabuga currently producing
4,500.Decreased accuracy?Nearly 4,000 drones were launched at Ukraine between the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and December
