Russia may be using around 20,000 North Korean workers in military production, Ukrainian general says
Russia may have brought in around 20,000 workers from North Korea to manufacture goods intended for military use, General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov said in an interview with Ukrinform published on Oct. 1. He added that the data requires further confirmation.
According to the lieutenant general, Russia is using North Korean labor to produce Geran drones, which are manufactured in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan.
"That is also participation in the conflict," Hnatov said.
North Korea has become a key ally to Russia during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, providing artillery, missiles, and thousands of troops.
Initially, Pyongyang dispatched around 11,000-12,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to help fend off a Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk Oblast. The North Korean contingent reportedly suffered 2,000 soldiers killed in combat.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang was planning to send an additional 6,000 troops to Russia as part of its third wave of deployment.
Hnatov said that a number of North Korean troops are present in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Russia claims them to be engineering units deployed for demining operations.
Ukraine has not recently observed Russia involving North Korean forces in combat operations, Hnatov added.
Alexandra Brzozowski
