- Category
- Anti-Fake
Ukraine Urges YouTube to Remove Content Promoting Sanctioned Alabuga Drone Facility
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukraine has called on YouTube to remove advertising content promoting the sanctioned Alabuga center, where minors are reportedly involved in the production of strike drones.
In a joint statement on April 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports said they had identified large-scale promotional integrations for “Alabuga Polytech” on the video platform. According to the statement, the content was published without proper moderation or response from YouTube.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“Alabuga Polytech” is part of the Alabuga special economic zone, which is under sanctions and has been linked to the production of Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian officials say students, including underage individuals, have been recruited to work at the facility.
According to the statement, on April 25, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament broadcast on Twitch was used to promote Alabuga. The streaming platform quickly blocked accounts involved in broadcasting or advertising the event.
As reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, the suspensions were issued for 30 days, with final decisions to be made following a review by moderators. Initial reports indicate the action was taken because the event was held in a location under European Union sanctions.
By contrast, Ukrainian authorities said YouTube and its parent company Google have not taken action against similar content.
“Esports and digital platforms cannot serve as a cover for the militarization of education, the recruitment of teenagers, or the promotion of sanctioned military enterprises,” the ministries said.
In recent years, Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone has sharply expanded its output of drones, including Shahed-136 and decoy Gerbera UAVs, despite mounting sanctions and workforce constraints.
This growth has depended largely on Chinese-supplied components and a labor force that reportedly includes underage Russian teenagers and foreign women.
Situated about 600 miles east of Moscow, Alabuga was initially designed to attract Western investment but pivoted to military production after companies withdrew following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It has since emerged as a key center for drone manufacturing, with Ukrainian Defense Intelligence reporting that 5,760 Shahed drones were produced in the first nine months of 2024—more than twice the 2,738 units made in 2023.
Discuss this article:
-29a1a43aba23f9bb779a1ac8b98d2121.jpeg "Photo of Illia Kabachynskyi")
-4d7e1a09104a941b31a4d276db398e16.jpg "Ultranationalist Ideologues Now Teach History in Russia’s Universities")
-46f6afa2f66d31ff3df8ea1a8f5524ec.jpg "Photo of Jess Daly")