{
  "id": 16979108,
  "title": "Russia using online platform to illegally employ North Korean ‘students’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/russia-using-online-platform-to-illegally-employ-north-korean-students",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-29T00:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/29/asia-pacific/russia-north-korea-forced-labor/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An investigation by Dutch nonprofit Global Rights Compliance has uncovered new insights into the exploitative methods employed by a Russian labor-brokering platform to bring North Korean workers into the country, in direct violation of international law. This support is bolstering the Russian military campaign in Ukraine. The report, published on Thursday, delves into the operations of Vladimir Sokolov, a businessman based in Moscow who runs the Black Horse group of companies and KNDR.su, an online platform that assists Russian employers in recruiting North Korean laborers. Sokolov's businesses are primarily involved in importing manufacturing equipment from China and Europe, as well as operating an agricultural export business that caters to North Korean interests. The European Union recently sanctioned Sokolov \"for promoting and facilitating commercial and industrial cooperation projects involving\" North Korea.",
  "summary": "Laborers posing as students are propping up Moscow's war in Ukraine while sending cash back to Pyongyang, skirting sanctions, a probe has found.",
  "key_points": [
    "Russian platform KNDR.su exploits North Korean workers illegally.",
    "Businessman Vladimir Sokolov runs Black Horse group and KNDR.su.",
    "EU sanctions Sokolov for North Korean cooperation projects."
  ],
  "editors_take": "By leveraging digital platforms to bypass international law, these labor-brokering operations provide the human capital necessary to sustain Russia's ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}