The Center for Strategic and International Studies and the George W. Bush Institute said in a joint report that the exploitation of workers and violations of human rights help strengthen Russia’s military capabilities and its cooperation with the Islamic Republic, China, and North Korea.

The report cited the Alabuga cluster in Russia as an example of this cooperation; a factory that produces “Shahed”-based Iranian-designed “Shahed” drones with a capacity of more than 5,500 drones per month.

According to the report, Russian teenagers, young foreign women, and North Korean forces are recruited to work in this complex. Some foreign workers enter Russia with promises of education or service-sector jobs, but after arriving they discover they must participate in drone production.

The report’s authors also identified China as the supplier of the parts and equipment needed for mass production, but said there is no evidence that Beijing directly finances Alabuga.

The report also provided no evidence of direct involvement by the Islamic Republic in recruiting workers and described Tehran’s role as transferring drone technology and expertise.

The two U.S. think tanks called for sanctions on recruitment networks and for enabling international research into Alabuga.