Russia is increasingly using North Korean laborers to manufacture military drones, effectively bypassing international sanctions against North Korea. This was detailed in a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, published on September 16.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team consists of 11 countries, including the United States, and tracks efforts to circumvent UN sanctions against North Korea and its partners.
Workers disguised as students
According to the group, Russia has established a scheme where North Korean workers are registered as students to conceal their employment in the country. The report notes that this scheme generates revenue for North Korea, which may be used to fund its “illicit weapons programs.”
The report estimates that between 15,000 and 30,000 North Korean citizens were working illegally in Russia in 2025. Most of them were reportedly involved in manufacturing military drones for Russia on its soil, including at a drone production facility in Tatarstan.
The report also outlines a broad system of sanctions evasion and corruption between Russia and North Korea. This includes the use of student and tourist visas instead of work permits, changes to Russian legislation to allow income generation under student visas, and, according to the authors, the bribery of Russian universities.
North Korea’s revenue
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team estimates that the illegal overseas employment program for North Korean citizens generated between $450 million and $800 million for Pyongyang in 2025 alone. The authors estimate that each illegally employed North Korean worker generated approximately $7,500 in annual revenue.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has become one of Moscow’s closest allies. It remains the only country to have officially sent troops to support the Russian war effort, while also supplying Russia with significant quantities of military equipment and ammunition, including ballistic missiles, artillery shells, and rocket launchers.
In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened a museum dedicated to North Korean military personnel who fought alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
Source: The Kyiv Independent
