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How Brazil’s TikTok Stars Helped Russia Recruit Young Women for Suicide Drone Factories
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At the beginning of October, a controversy erupted in Brazil after several popular influencers apologized for promoting a Russian internship program later linked to the production of suicide drones used in the war against Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, the program—known as Alabuga Start—operates under Russia’s “Special Economic Zone Alabuga” in the Republic of Tatarstan.
Officially presented as a training opportunity for young people from the Global South, it was in fact used to recruit cheap labor for military industries involved in manufacturing Shahed-136 drones, known in Russia as “Geran-2.”
Guga Fígueiredo expõe MC Thammy por divulgar suposto tráfico de pessoas na Rússia pic.twitter.com/HTEPUaUlnk
— VTzeiros (@vtzeros) October 1, 2025
Brazilian influencers Aila Loures, MC Thammy, and Catherine Bascoy publicly apologized to their followers after it emerged that they had promoted Alabuga Start as a “prestigious internship opportunity.”
The program targeted women aged 18 to 22, offering housing, Russian language lessons, and monthly stipends of up to $680.
Following reports by Bloomberg and local media, the so-called internship turned out to be a recruitment scheme. Upon arrival in Tatarstan, participants were taken to restricted facilities assembling Shahed drones used by Russian forces in attacks on Ukraine.
Investigations by Brazilian and international journalists revealed that the Russian organizers built a network of fake social media accounts mimicking legitimate educational and job programs.
Influencers from Brazil, South Africa, and other BRICS nations were hired to advertise the initiative through sponsored posts and short videos.
According to Bloomberg, workers who joined the program faced hazardous conditions, including exposure to chemicals and restricted movement. Some women reportedly worked overtime assembling drone components in closed facilities under military supervision.
Despite public backlash, Brazilian authorities have not announced any formal investigation into what human rights experts describe as a case of human trafficking disguised as an internship.
The influencers involved released apology videos following widespread criticism. MC Thammy said she was “misled” and that the documents she received “appeared legitimate.”
The Alabuga industrial zone has previously been linked to Russia’s efforts to relocate military drone production after Western sanctions limited access to foreign components. Bloomberg reported that Alabuga serves as a hub for Russia’s adaptation of Iranian Shahed designs and for training foreign workers from countries with lower media scrutiny.
Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russia was using BRICS-affiliated groups to recruit women from Africa, Asia, and Latin America for drone assembly in the Alabuga zone. Many were misled with promises of hospitality jobs or internships, only to end up building Shahed drones later used in attacks on Ukraine.
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