Russia is preparing to import as many as 12,000 North Korean workers to accelerate the production of long-range Shahed-type attack drones at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) said on Friday, Nov. 14. The move reflects Moscow’s growing dependence on Pyongyang as its industrial capacity strains under the demands of the war against Ukraine.
Tatarstan is a republic in the central part of Russia, located in the Volga River region, roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of Moscow; it is known for its large industrial zones and mixed ethnic population of Russians and Tatars.
According to HUR, the plan envisions the deployment of North Korean laborers to Alabuga by the end of 2025. The facility has become a central hub for assembling Shahed/Geran drones used in Russia’s recurring strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.
HUR reports that, in late October, Russian Foreign Ministry officials held talks with representatives of the North Korean company Jihyang Technology Trade Company, which is responsible for selecting and supplying labor from the DPRK. The discussions focused on arranging the transfer and employment conditions for the incoming workforce.
The workers are expected to earn roughly $2.5 per hour and perform 12-hour shifts, a model consistent with North Korea’s state-controlled labor export practices. Ukrainian intelligence describes the recruitment as part of a broader strategy in which Moscow seeks to outsource manpower shortages while deepening political and military ties with Pyongyang.
“The measures demonstrate the expanding strategic cooperation between two dictatorships in sustaining Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” HUR said.
Ukraine has repeatedly warned the international community of North Korea’s direct or indirect support for Russia’s war machine – through munitions, technology transfers, or labor.
In September Kyiv Post reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country has seen a sharp rise in youths seeking to join the military after Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region.
Reports of North Korean troops joining Russia’s war in Ukraine began to surface in October 2024.
Kim made the statement at the 13th session of the Supreme People’s Assembly: “After reports of heroic deeds by our units participating in the operation to liberate the Kursk region, popular heroism has swept across society. Among the youth, enthusiasm for military service has reached unprecedented heights.”
In August Kyiv Post wrote that alongside the troops, North Korea was expected to deliver between 50 and 100 pieces of military equipment, including M2010 (Cheonma-D) main battle tanks and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers.
HUR chief Gen. Kyrylo Budanov stated that North Korea is already supplying about 40% of the Russian army’s needs for 122mm and 152mm ammunition, which is being produced in the country “around the clock.” In addition, Moscow has received hundreds of artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems, and missiles from Pyongyang.
Some of this weaponry initially showed poor performance, but after modifications, the Russians have significantly improved its effectiveness. In particular, the upgraded KN-23 missile, with a range of 690 kilometers (429 miles), has become much more accurate.
According to Budanov, long-range 170mm M1989 self-propelled guns and other North Korean weaponry are already causing serious challenges for Ukrainian forces and are significantly prolonging the war.
Last autumn, North Korea had already deployed troops to Russia; intelligence estimates suggest at least 10,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to the front, where they took part in combat against Ukraine.
The Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported in September 2023 that Russia was planning to bring North Korean citizens to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin, after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June last year, persuaded his counterpart from Pyongyang to open “diplomatic missions in Donetsk and Luhansk.”
The CNR assessed that the North Koreans were invited to ensure the supply of labor in these regions, as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has resulted in a labor shortage throughout Russia and the occupied territories.
Later, Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources said that more than 20 soldiers were killed as a result of an Oct. 3, 2024, missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk, including six officers from North Korea, who came to confer with their Russian counterparts. Three more North Korean servicemen were wounded.