Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed agreements with Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, an industrial hub linked to the manufacture of attack drones used in Ukraine. The deals come as a Ukrainian research group alleges that Russia is widening a recruitment network that brings young African women into its industrial workforce.
Britain sanctioned people and organizations associated with Alabuga Start in May 2026, accusing the program of using deceptive methods to recruit foreign workers. The latest agreements have renewed questions about whether overseas recruitment could help Russia maintain production as its war continues.
The Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre says it obtained internal records that identify about 50 African women working at Alabuga, as well as 10 Russian recruiters and two African intermediaries allegedly involved in bringing workers to Russia.
Solomiya Khoma, the centre’s head of international cooperation, said the investigation traced how recruitment may connect Russian cultural organizations, local intermediaries and Alabuga’s human resources department. She said the research focused specifically on African countries.
According to the group, the alleged network has three parts: Russian cultural and educational organizations that build relationships with young people in Africa, local recruiters who promote opportunities in Russia, and Alabuga staff who handle hiring and logistics.
The report names women from Tunisia and Uganda as alleged recruitment coordinators and describes links to Russian human resources staff and foreign workers. Their role in recruitment has not been independently verified.
Khoma said some of the findings came from a confidential source who still works at the industrial complex. She said the researchers had obtained information about employees, including internal work passes, but would not reveal the source’s identity.
The investigation also examined Russian cultural groups, including councils of Russian compatriots and the Russkiy Mir Foundation, and their promotion of education and employment opportunities in African countries.
It cites a cooperation memorandum signed in September 2024 between Alabuga and the Russian compatriots’ council in Tunisia, as well as Russian cultural activities in Uganda. The report does not establish that Russian diplomats or cultural organizations knowingly directed recruits to work in military drone production.
A 2024 investigation by the Associated Press documented cases in which African women recruited with promises of education and civilian jobs were assigned to manufacture Iranian-designed attack drones. Some workers reported long shifts, pay below what they had been promised, surveillance and exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Khoma said some women arrive expecting to study while earning money, but may fail entrance exams or Russian-language requirements. She alleged that those who do not qualify can be left with few options, particularly if they cannot afford to travel home, and end up working in factories instead of studying.
On May 5, 2026, the British government sanctioned seven people and organizations linked to Alabuga Start, saying the recruitment operation had used deceptive practices to bring foreign workers to facilities producing military drones.
Despite that scrutiny, agreements with African governments have continued. Ghana’s labor minister, Emmanuel Agyekum, signed a deal with Alabuga on October 29 to support industrial job opportunities for Ghanaian citizens. Ghana’s labor ministry said it would coordinate recruitment, check job offers and provide guidance before workers depart.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a five-year memorandum with Alabuga on October 30. Public reports described it as an agreement focused on vocational training and improving employment institutions.
Neither agreement, based on the information made public, says that either government intended to send workers to military production facilities.
Khoma called for sanctions aimed at recruitment networks, including intermediaries, financial channels and organizations that help arrange foreign labor. She said Russia’s efforts to recruit abroad point to labor shortages in its wartime economy and could provide another way for other countries to apply pressure.
