North Korea Planning To Send Thousands Of Its Citizens To Work At Russia's Defense Enterprises Intelligence

2025-09-07 08:06:48

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was reported in an interview with Ukrinform by Vadym Skibitsky, Deputy Chief of the Defense Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine.

“Let's look at North Korea. There are currently plans to send thousands of North Korean specialists in various fields to Russia to work and gain experience. This includes both the defense-industrial complex and assistance in construction and other sectors of Russian industry. We're talking about thousands of people. For example, when we speak of 6,000 North Korean specialists working in Kursk region, that's a large number. We know for certain that over 1,000 have already arrived,” Skibitsky said.

He added that they are already being involved in repairing roads and fortifying defensive positions in Kursk region.

In addition, North Korean workers are being sent to gain experience at enterprises that produce ammunition and weapons, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and drones.

According to Skibitsky, Ukrainian intelligence has information about the recruitment of foreign citizens to work at enterprises in the Yelabuga zone.

“We have data on the recruitment of foreign nationals to work at Russian enterprises in the Yelabuga zone. There, Russia is expanding production. While they initially started with around a thousand employees, today their plan is to have 40,000 workers in the Yelabuga zone, which produces drones. We are tracking many foreign citizens who agree to sign contracts and travel to Russia for work. In many cases, these individuals later sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense and go to fight,” Skibitsky emphasized.

Read also: Skibitskyi: Russia upgrading missiles and drones for intensified combined strikes on Ukraine

As Ukrinform reported, in August, Chief of the Defense Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated that North Korea planned to transfer 6,000 additional troops to Russia, along with 50 to 100 pieces of equipment, including M2010 (Cheonma-D) main battle tanks and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, allegedly for engineering work.

Photo: KCNA

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