March 4, 2026
Alabuga Polytech in Russia's Tatarstan launches social media campaign to recruit minors for the assembly of Shahed drones
It is also reported that an advertising agency offered bloggers paid integrations using these videos
TL;DR
- Alabuga Polytech is recruiting underage students to assemble Shahed attack drones.
- Promotional videos explicitly mention combat drone production and show workshops.
- Students are offered high salaries, significantly above the regional median.
- Teenagers featured in videos express pride and patriotic sentiments about their work.
- The recruitment campaign uses paid integrations with bloggers.
- Alabuga SEZ and its college were sanctioned in 2024.
- Previous reports detailed poor living conditions and recorded suicides at the school.
- Russia previously expanded recruitment of South African women for drone production.
- The Alabuga facility has been targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks.
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