According to the latest data published by the UN Security Council’s multilateral sanctions monitoring group, up to 25,000 North Korean nationals may be employed at Russian enterprises involved in the production of drones. The report sheds light on the complex relationship between Russia and North Korea, illustrating the methods the countries use to circumvent international sanctions.
Interestingly, between 15,000 and 30,000 North Koreans were working in Russia in 2025. These workers are said to earn around $7,500 a year, though a significant portion of these funds is sent back to North Korea. Pyongyang’s total revenue from workers abroad is estimated at a staggering $800 million annually, and this money is reportedly used to fund the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programmes.
To circumvent the restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council, North Koreans in Russia enter the country on student visas. Last year, Russia issued more than 36,000 visas to DPRK citizens, the vast majority of which were student visas. This ploy allows the use of labour without formally breaching international law.
According to a report by the organisation ‘Civil Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea’, more than 110 companies and individuals are linked to North Korean business operations in Russia. Most workers from the DPRK are concentrated in the Far East, but they can also be found in major cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg.
It is worth noting that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously expressed concerns about the possible deployment of between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia. However, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed this claim as “baseless”.
The multilateral sanctions monitoring group was established in 2024 and comprises 11 states, including the US, South Korea and Japan. It replaced a UN panel of experts, whose activities were blocked by Russia after 15 years of work. This highlights the complexity and controversy of international relations in the modern world.