Up to 30,000 of North Korean workers make drones in russia on student visas

Up to 30,000 [as of the end of 2025] North Korean workers are manufacturing military drones for russia on russian soil, such as in drone factories located in Alabuga, Tatarstan, which are involved in the supply of drones to the russian armed forces for use
against Ukraine. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) said in a report.

The russian government has created a student visa scheme to camouflage North Korean labourers in russia as students. Each North Korean labourer in russia generates an average estimated $7,500 in wages annually. Estimates indicate that monthly wages earned by North Korean labourers in russia may be up to five times as high compared to monthly wages in China, depending on the industry.

In 2025 the russian government issued a total of 36,413 visas to North Koreans, according to official statistics. This is approximately four times the number of visas issued to North Koreans in 2024. Of these visas, more than 98% were issued as student visas for the purpose of ‘education’.

North Korea’s WMD and ballistic missile programs continue to stand in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. The country funds these unlawful weapons programs in part through the deployment of North Korean labourers overseas, earning an estimated $450 to $800 million in 2025 for the DPRK government.