Moscow is expanding its military efforts by recruiting labor from Africa, using international platforms like BRICS. According to an in-depth investigation published by Bloomberg, Russian companies have launched a large-scale campaign targeting young women from South Africa to attract them to work in the industrial zone of _Alabuga_ in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. This zone, which is located far from the front line, is known as a key production center for assembling the Iranian _Shahed_ drones that Russia is massively using in its aggressive war against Ukraine.
The officially offered job positions are in sectors such as construction and services. However, numerous international sources warn that a large portion of these women are ultimately redirected to assembly lines for combat unmanned aerial vehicles. This raises serious concerns about the transparency and ethics of Russian practices, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict.
The recruitment scheme is carried out under the prestigious BRICS brand, with a contract having been signed for this purpose between Russian and South African representatives. Specifically, the document was signed by the representative of the Women's Business Alliance to BRICS on the part of South Africa. This formal legitimacy, provided by a high-ranking figure, conceals the real purpose of the program.
As a result of the revelations, the government of South Africa has taken immediate action, launching an official investigation into the case. South African authorities have expressed deep concern that the seemingly legal labor programs hide the exploitation of vulnerable social groups. Their concerns also extend to the possibility that these women may be unknowingly drawn into a military conflict in support of Russian military efforts.
This case is not isolated. Similar practices of deceptive recruitment by the Russian Federation have been documented before, also targeting women from the African continent with the aim of using them to support military actions against Ukraine. The Bloomberg report, as well as information from Pravda Gerashchenko, serve as an important signal of the abuse of international partnerships to achieve aggressive state goals.