Africans in the Russian Federation forced to collect drones used against the Armed Forces - AP

But instead of a program for work and training in areas such as hotel business and catering, some of them only learned when arriving in the steppes of Tatarstan that they would have to work at the weapon and collect Iranian shock drones. Some women complained for long hours under constant supervision, unfulfilled salaries promises, and work with caustic chemicals that left traces on the skin.

In order to fill the acute shortage of labor, women aged 18-22 are recruited in Russia from regions such as Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, as well as Sri Lanka. Such a campaign extends to other countries in Asia and Latin America. Thus, in one of the key sectors of weapons production in the Russian Federation there are low -skilled natives mainly from African countries.

They work with 16-year-old VET students at the plant in a special economic zone "Alabuga", about 1000 km east of Moscow. "I really don't know how to do drones," said one African woman who left her job at home and accepted a Russian offer.

The AP analyzed the satellite images of the complex and its internal documents, talked to several African women who found themselves there, and tracked hundreds of videos in an online staff recruitment programs called "Alabuga Start" to make an idea of ​​life at the factory. One of the African women documented her trip in detail, made a selfie at the airport, shot for lunch on a plane and a flight card. She emphasized that she flies to Europe.

But when she arrived in Alabuga and saw what she had to do, she realized that she was cheated. "The company is only engaged in the production of drones. No more. I regret and curse the day when I started doing it all," the woman explained. It should be reminded that, according to analysts, the Russian Federation has almost doubled production of "Shahamed" and exceeds the plan for a year.