Plan to deceive young Latinas into building lethal drones in Russia
Young women from various Latin American nations arrived in Russia hoping to explore new opportunities, only to become entangled in a devious scheme involving the production of lethal drones utilized in Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.
Recruiters working for the manufacturing company, Alabuga Start, began targeting women, primarily aged between 18 and 22, in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They lured these women in through advertisements emphasizing sports and cultural exchanges, strategically designed for each specific country where they sought low-cost labor for the manufacture of the Geran-2 drone, Russia’s equivalent of Iran’s Shahed-136 drone.
In Brazil, incentives such as laptops and smartphones were offered to potential recruits at an event promoting financial literacy. Meanwhile, Bolivian recruiter Sara Valentina Enriquez showcased smiling women in classes exchanging high-fives in a TikTok video.
The applications required candidates to be between 18 and 21 years old, have completed their education, and be in good health. The job responsibilities outlined in the Spanish-language video included cooking, industrial production, cleaning, administration, logistics, assembly, and hospitality, promising a monthly wage ranging from $541 to $1,783 without mentioning the manufacturing of weaponry.
Furthermore, Alabuga Start is a prominent sponsor of Ecuador’s largest sports club, El Nacional. The company’s logo appears on the team’s jerseys, and registered female employees can win tickets to games. However, neither the team nor Alabuga Start provided any response to inquiries.
Advertisements in Venezuela offered jobs with a monthly wage of $555, along with scholarships to attend Russian universities and study the Russian language. Described by analysts as deceptive, the recruitment caused women to travel to a Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, frequently referred to as a form of human trafficking due to stringent controls and constant surveillance upon arrival.
In this Special Economic Zone, dormitories and factories subjected the women to video surveillance around the clock. There were instances of financial penalties, wage deductions, and strict regulations, turning the work environment into one involving forced labor and human trafficking, making it nearly impossible for women to leave.
The program initially targeted Africa but shifted focus to Latin America after facing difficulties in recruitment. Russia experienced an increase in drone production since the program’s inception in 2023, with an estimated production rate of 2,700 drones per month by mid-2026 – sufficient to launch 90 drones daily.
In response to these activities, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Alabuga’s Special Economic Zone as the primary site for manufacturing one-way attack drones. This underscores the harsh reality faced by these young Latin American women entrapped in a malicious ploy, thinking they were embarking on a journey of exploration and opportunity.