How Kenyan girls are lured into Russian war

By Newsflash Team

In what bears the hallmarks of human trafficking, a number of young Kenyan women have found themselves working under harsh and dangerous conditions in Russian factories that produce drones.

An international investigation reveals that the women were misled during recruitment, with promises of decent employment opportunities, only to be placed in military production zones amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to a report by the Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), these Kenyan women—alongside hundreds of other young African females aged 18 to 22—were recruited with the expectation of participating in work-study programmes. However, upon arrival in Russia, they were assigned to factories manufacturing military drones, without prior knowledge of the true nature of the work.

Dangerous conditions and deception in Alabuga

The women were reportedly employed at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, a major industrial area that produces drones for the Russian military. They worked alongside Russian vocational students, some as young as 15 years old. Many of the African recruits were initially told they would be employed in fields like hospitality, only to discover that they were being used for weapons manufacturing.

The working conditions are described as grim. The GI-TOC report states that the women endured long hours under constant supervision, low wages that fell far below the promised $700 (around KSh91,000), and deductions for accommodation. The factories also exposed them to hazardous chemicals that caused skin injuries, with limited access to proper safety equipment or medical care.

Labour rights were allegedly violated, with restrictions placed on communication with outsiders and a culture of fear fostered by surveillance and threats. Despite the exploitation, few have come forward due to the fear of retaliation or deportation.

When contacted, Kenya’s Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua said the government had no official knowledge of Alabuga’s operations in Kenya. He emphasized that the Kenyan government has no intention of becoming involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating, “Since no Kenyan has so far complained, I will not comment any further on the issue.”

Recruitment tied to labour export push

Alabuga’s management reportedly recruits through an initiative called the “Alabuga Start” programme, which targets young women from Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and former Soviet states. The aim is to address labour shortages in Russia’s growing drone industry.

As of December 2024, 14 Kenyan women were confirmed to be working at the site, with two having since returned home. Additionally, over 400 Kenyan applicants had submitted passport requests to join the programme.

The GI-TOC report warns that such programmes pose serious risks, especially at a time when Kenya has ramped up its efforts to export labour abroad. In March 2025, the Kenyan government announced it had secured 200,000 foreign job opportunities for its citizens in a bid to tackle youth unemployment and create a million new jobs each year.

However, the GI-TOC cautions that Kenya’s aggressive labour export agenda could be inadvertently placing its citizens in harm’s way—especially when the employment involves unacknowledged participation in military production that could invite retaliatory attacks.

Alabuga SEZ, where the women are based, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes. In April 2024, a drone attack injured several African workers and damaged dormitories where recruits were housed. Ukrainian military intelligence later reported a warehouse storing drone parts at the facility had caught fire under mysterious circumstances, followed by another drone strike in April 2025.

Living in fear amid military conflict

Despite these incidents, Alabuga officials released a video featuring a Kenyan worker who claimed that she and her colleagues remained unshaken by Ukrainian threats. Still, the risks are evident. By working at Alabuga, these women are indirectly caught in the crosshairs of the Russia-Ukraine war, despite having no political or ideological connection to it.

Moreover, the GI-TOC report points to other challenges these women face: racial discrimination, harassment, and intense scrutiny by the management. These conditions, it argues, further highlight the exploitative and coercive nature of the work environment.

Kenyan women are not alone in this. Others from countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana have been similarly recruited. The programme, which initially focused on African recruits, has since expanded to target individuals from 84 countries worldwide.

What makes the situation particularly troubling is that recruits are deliberately kept in the dark about the true nature of the work. “Withholding the information about drone production at Alabuga SEZ from migrant workers means they are unable to make an informed decision about the potential risks involved in the work,” the report states.

According to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, trafficking involves recruiting or transporting individuals through deception for exploitative purposes. GI-TOC suggests that Alabuga’s operations fit this definition, pointing to the deceptive recruitment practices and coercive working environment.

The report further asserts that Russia exemplifies a state where legitimate and illegitimate systems coexist, using organized crime and shady corporate practices to advance geopolitical interests. Alabuga, it claims, operates at this murky intersection of business, criminality, and statecraft.

Back in Kenya, agents from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have reportedly questioned immigration officials over how recruits managed to obtain passports. While there is no indication that the government plans to halt the programme, the issue is becoming increasingly controversial.

Meanwhile, Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities have allegedly held talks with Russian officials about formalizing a bilateral labour agreement, similar to one being pursued by Uganda, which would legitimize the Alabuga Start programme under official frameworks—despite the concerns raised about the safety and rights of those being recruited.