Moscow: They hoped for a better career but ended up in Russia's war factories. A new study reveals how young women, mainly from Africa, have been exploited. Some of those affected have shared their stories with DW.According to Deutsche Welle, the Alabuga Start program, named after an industrial area in southwestern Russia, has become a source of distress for many African women who were promised opportunities in logistics, service, catering, and other fields. Upon arrival, they found themselves working under harsh conditions in drone manufacturing. Aminata, a 20-year-old from Sierra Leone, is one such participant, whose travel costs were covered by the program, which even provides dormitories for the participants.Chinara, a young Nigerian woman who participated in the Alabuga program, shared her disappointment, stating that they were turned into low-wage laborers. She explained that initially, it seemed like a golden opportunity for African women to establish careers, but the reality was different. Many we re forced to work in drone assembly, production supervision, or as cleaners, exposed to dangerous chemicals under challenging conditions.The Alabuga SEZ, a production hub for Geran-2 drones, was established in 2006 to attract businesses to Tatarstan. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it expanded into military production. Labor shortages in Russia have led recruiters to focus on migrant workers from the Global South. The Single Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (SIISS) reports a significant increase in African workers arriving in Russia, with a 50% rise by 2024 compared to 2022.The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime's study, published in May, highlights that African women aged 18 to 22 were primarily recruited for the Alabuga Start program. The program has since expanded to include participants from Asia, Latin America, and former Soviet republics. The study's authors conducted data analysis and interviews, uncovering exploitative working conditions at Alabuga Polytech, where girls as young as 16 were hired for drone production.Concerns are rising in countries like Zimbabwe, where parents worry about their children's involvement in the program. Reports of forced labor, withheld passports, and unpaid wages have surfaced. Interpol has begun investigating potential human trafficking links to the program in Botswana. Awareness of the program's risks is growing in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, prompting further investigations.Despite numerous requests for comment, the Alabuga Start program has remained silent. The article included contributions from Garikai Mafirakureva in Zimbabwe and Aleksei Strelnikov, adapted from German.