Full Breakdown
Russia Employs North Korean Workers to Build Drones for Its Ukraine War
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
According to a report released on September 16 by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, Russia is mobilising an estimated up to 25,000 North Korean workers in its drone industry, including at the Alabuga facility in Tatarstan where unmanned aerial vehicles are assembled. The workers are reportedly placed under a student-visa scheme to evade sanctions and are tasked with manufacturing drones that are being used against Ukraine.
Background & Context
The deployment of North Korean labour follows a broader deepening of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Both countries have faced international sanctions—Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. The United States and allied governments contend that the labour arrangement provides Pyongyang with a new source of foreign currency to fund its prohibited weapons programmes, thereby undermining the sanctions regime that Moscow once helped enforce.
Data & Statistics
- The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team estimates that North Korean workers abroad earned up to US $800 million for the regime in 2025.
- A South-China Morning Post report describes the same earnings figure as occurring last year, indicating a discrepancy in the reporting period.
- Individual wages average US $7,500 per year, most of which is confiscated by the North Korean government; in some cases the forfeited amount exceeds the worker’s earnings.
- Reported earnings are up to five times higher than what North Koreans can earn in China, making Russia a comparatively lucrative destination.
Official Statements & Responses
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team emphasizes that DPRK authorities exercise “extreme control” over labourers’ movements to prevent defections, warning that defectors risk reprisals against family members remaining in North Korea.
Why It Matters
The use of sanctioned North Korean labour in Russia’s drone production expands the scope of bilateral military ties beyond weapons shipments to include industrial labour. This development supplies Moscow with additional capacity for its war in Ukraine while simultaneously delivering hard currency to Pyongyang, potentially strengthening its nuclear and missile development despite international sanctions.