African women, including Adau from South Sudan, were allegedly deceived into working at a Russian drone factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone. Recruited under the Alabuga Start programme with promises of professional training in various fields, they found themselves assembling Iranian Shahed 136 drones under harsh conditions and for significantly less pay than advertised.

• Over 1,000 women, predominantly from Africa, have been recruited for the programme.
• The Alabuga Start programme was recently accused of promoting human trafficking, prompting an investigation by the South African government.
• Adau, who was promised $600 per month, received only a sixth of that due to various deductions, and experienced skin peeling from chemicals used to paint drone casings.
• The factory was targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike on April 2, 2024, damaging her hostel and revealing the dangerous nature of her work.