Late last year, the world was alerted to the disturbing news that Russia was recruiting hundreds of young African women, aged 18–22, to manufacture drones in a military-industrial compound called Alabuga, 1,000 km east of Moscow.

Reports also said that the recruits—from at least 15 African countries—were promised good salaries and skills training, but once there, they were often trapped, facing tax deductions, dangerous working conditions, strict surveillance, and difficulties returning home.

In the past six months, a ZAM team in seven African countries, including PREMIUM TIMES in Nigeria, investigated the Russian recruitment exercise—and why so many young Africans take the chance to go, sometimes even after being warned. In this Malawi chapter, Josephine Chinele tries to find her compatriots.

A Malawi flag on a stage where young women are dancing to celebrate their welcome into Alabuga is the only physical sign of participants from my country in all the material emanating from this industrial compound east of Moscow. The photograph shows dancers in traditional chitenje dress, but one cannot tell if they are Malawian, since the chitenje is used widely across Africa.

All other efforts to find Malawians in Alabuga have been fruitless. They must be there: the flag, and Alabuga’s own brochures and website, say so. But no one in Malawi seems to have seen them leave, nor do many seem interested in establishing what happened to them.