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Russia to Import 12,000 North Korean Workers for Drone Assembly

11/14/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Russia plans to import 12,000 North Korean workers to its Alabuga Special Economic Zone by the end of 2025, assembling Shahed drones at $2.50 per hour.
The recruitment involves the Jihyang Technology Trade Company, a front for North Korea's Green Pine Associated Corporation, which has faced U.S. sanctions since 2010.
The move deepens Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation and highlights Russia's reliance on foreign labor amid the war in Ukraine.

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Story summary

Russia plans to import 12,000 North Korean workers to its Alabuga Special Economic Zone by the end of 2025, assembling Shahed drones at $2.50 per hour.
The recruitment involves the Jihyang Technology Trade Company, a front for North Korea's Green Pine Associated Corporation, which has faced U.S. sanctions since 2010.
The move deepens Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation and highlights Russia's reliance on foreign labor amid the war in Ukraine.