From https://t.me/pravdaGerashchenko_en
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A #Voice_of_America investigation has found that some #African countries are deliberately establishing ties with #Russian organizations that produce Shahed drones behind the recruitment program.
▪️ Recruitment under false pretences
The website of the #Russian program #Alabuga_Start portrays a bright future for #African women in #Tatarstan, #Russia.
Although the website does not state that it is addressed specifically to women, they are featured in all the commercials.
According to the #Russian independent media outlet #Protokol, the program specifically targets young women, as its organizers believe that young men from #Africa "can be too aggressive and dangerous."
"It’s been a very deceptive program in the sense that the applicants didn’t know they’d be working in essentially a #US.- [and]
European-sanctioned company making drones that are being used to devastating effect against #Ukrainian civil targets, energy targets, electrical plants," #David_Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security and author of a report exposing the program that exploits young women, says.
#Albright emphasizes that the plant produces Iranian Shahed-136 drones. In the first half of 2023, about 100 students from #Alabuga Polytech travelled to #Tehran for two months of drone
manufacturing training, according to an investigation by The #Washington_Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/08/17/russia-iran-drone-shahed-alabuga/).
▪️ Cooperation with #African governments
#Albright claims that #Alabuga representatives recently visited #Sierra_Leone, #Zambia, and #Madagascar, signing memoranda of understanding with local organizations. These ties, he believes, signal a potential expansion of recruitment efforts.
The #Voice_of_America has found that some #African governments are willing partners of #Alabuga.
For example, the #Nigerian Ministry of Education has an announcement on its website about the #Alabuga_Start program. Similar announcements are posted on the government websites of #Uganda, #Mali, and #Burkina_Faso, as well as in #Asian Bangladesh.
▪️ It all started with #Russian students
#Alabuga's management, according to a number of investigations, even had to lobby for changes to labour laws. This allowed them to hire children under the age of 18 to work with toxic chemicals.
Soon, parents began to complain about poor working conditions: children worked 12-hour days at the plant, and their movements were strictly controlled. Then, in 2022, they started recruiting foreigners.
📷: A #Maxar satellite photo shows the possible planned location of the drone manufacturing plant in #Russia's #Alabuga Special Economic Zone.
📷: A screenshot of a website that promotes work in #Russia's #Tatarstan to foreigners.
Putin's IBS
