Under the guise of students. Up to 25 000 workers from North Korea work at a drone factory in Tatarstan, Russia

Up to 25 000 North Koreans work in Russia to produce drones, including at facilities in Alabuz, Tatarstan, where drones are assembled.

Bloomberg writes about this, citing a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Group.

North Korean workers travel to Russia under the guise of students to circumvent sanctions. On average, such workers earn $7 500 a year, but most of this money is immediately taken by the authorities. There are cases when the state confiscates even more than a person was able to earn in the first place.

They are mostly involved in construction, agriculture, and simple manufacturing jobs. The DPRK authorities strictly control the movement of workers and their communication with locals and foreigners. If a worker decides to escape, his family in North Korea faces reprisals.

In total, there are currently up to 30,000 workers from North Korea in Russia. Their monthly salary in Russia can be five times higher than in China, which is why they are increasingly choosing Russia.

• In June 2024, Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership. Since then, the DPRK has been transferring military personnel, artillery ammunition, and ballistic missiles to Russia for the war against Ukraine.

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