Interpol is investigating a professional training program for African women linked to a major Russian drone manufacturer, Bloomberg reported, citing the head of Interpols Botswana bureau.The agency is probing whether the program, Alabuga Start, is involved in human trafficking following a review of its social media posts, Detective Senior Superintendent Selebatso Mokgosi told Bloomberg.The Alabuga factory in Russias republic of Tatarstan is a major supplier of drones for the Russian military, producing as many as 200 Iranian-style Shahed drones per month that are then used in the countrys war on Ukraine.Branded as a two-year accelerator that allows women from the Global South to gain employment at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, Alabuga Start is suspected of serving as a front for luring swaths of young women to work at the drone assembly plantas Russia grapples with a domestic labor shortage.Multipleinvestigations into Alabugas work have suggested that women and minors lured into working at the plant were placed in adverse work conditions and were subjected to clock-round surveillance.Alabuga, which is located more than 1,000 kilometers from Russias border with Ukraine, has been targeted by at least two Ukrainian drone strikes.The first strike in April last year left at least 13 people injured, including foreign nationals suspected of being employed at the drone-making facility.A Message from The Moscow Times:Dear readers,We are facing unprecedented challenges.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution.
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia.
The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced.
But to continue our work, we need your help.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference.
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2.
It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression.
Thank you for standing with us.Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later.Remind me next monthThank you! Your reminder is set.We will send you one reminder email a month from now.
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.