UKRAINE, Sep. 17 — Russia is recruiting North Korean citizens to work in the production of military drones, registering them as students, said the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT).

MSMT said that up to 25,000 North Korean citizens may be working in the Russian drone industry, at companies in Alabuga and Tatarstan.

The recruitment of workers has become part of the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. In 2024, the countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

Moscow gains an additional labor force for companies that support its war against Ukraine, while Pyongyang receives currency inflows.

The North Korean government monitors the movements and contacts of its citizens abroad to prevent them from fleeing. Employees who attempt to flee face the threat of reprisals against their relatives who remain in the country.

According to the MSMT, last year, between 15,000 and 30,000 North Korean workers were employed in Russia, and between 20,000 and 70,000 in China. They generated up to $800 million in income for the North Korean government.

At the same time, salaries in Russia can be five times higher than the income that North Korean citizens earn in China.

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