Russia using North Korean laborers on student visas to illicitly build drones, report says

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team has released a report alleging that Russia is exploiting North Korean workers, primarily through a student visa program, to clandestinely construct military drones in violation of sanctions against Pyongyang. The 11-member group, comprising nations such as the United States, has uncovered a scheme where North Koreans are being presented as students to Russia, generating income that funds North Korea's illicit weapons programs.

This collaboration between Russia and North Korea has expanded beyond drones, encompassing a broader network of sanctions evasion activities, including the manipulation of student and tourist visas to circumvent work permits, adjustments to Russian law to permit income generation for visa holders, and bribery of universities. An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 North Korean laborers were found to be operating illegitimately in Russia in 2025, mostly engaged in the production of military drones at facilities like the Alabuga drone plant in Tatarstan.

The report suggests that North Korea's illicit overseas labor program yielded between $450 million and $800 million in 2025, with each worker contributing an average of $7,500 annually. The close relationship between Russia and North Korea, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has been underscored by North Korea's formal participation in the conflict and the supply of substantial military equipment.

This partnership was further solidified in April when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inaugurated a museum dedicated to North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.