Russia continues to use its partnerships with US adversaries, including North Korea, to compensate for resource shortages that are affecting the economy and the war effort. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on February 9, citing South Korea's National Intelligence Service, that thousands of North Koreans arrived in Russia in 2024 for construction work.
This is according to another analysis of the fighting in Ukraine by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Russian official data shows that 13,221 North Koreans entered Russia in 2024 - up to 12 times more than in 2023. Many of the North Korean workers are reported to be entering Russia on student visas, with 7,887 North Koreans entering Russia in 2024 for purported educational purposes. The Russian opposition publication "Important Stories" reported on February 4 that the number of North Koreans coming to Russia to study in 2024 was the highest since 2019.
The Russian opposition publication "Mediazona" reported in November 2024 that data from the Border Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) showed that a record number of North Koreans entered Russia between July and September 2024. for education purposes - especially at the start of the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia - October 2024.
Russia has been suffering from a serious labor shortage in both the civilian and defense industries since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
The arrival of a few thousand North Koreans will not significantly alleviate Russia's labor shortage, as it is already 1.5 million workers short as of December 2024.
But this may be the beginning of larger groups in the future that could already help with the shortage problems more significantly.
Russian enterprises are likely not paying North Korean workers the same wages as Russian citizens, so as not to compete with Russian military and defense industrial enterprises for employees.
Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), is violating UNSC Resolution 2397. Russia voted for Resolution 2397 in 2017 in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile tests, which explicitly prohibits Pyongyang from sending its citizens abroad to work and obliges all member states to expel them. Moscow is likely using the guise of student visas to cover up the violation.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un continues to assert his support for Russia in Ukraine. Kim gave a speech at the Ministry of National Defense on February 9 that focused heavily on the threats the United States and the West allegedly pose to North Korea's security.
Kim criticized the United States for dragging out the war in Ukraine and said he was "seriously concerned" about the West's alleged desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. Kim specifically said that the North Korean military and people "will unfailingly support and encourage" Russia's "just cause" to defend its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity "in the spirit" of the June 2024 Russia-North Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.
German authorities reportedly failed to shoot down suspected Russian reconnaissance drones flying near a German military site in January 2025 where Ukrainian forces were training. Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on February 8, citing a secret internal German report, that the German Ministry of Defense (MoD) is investigating possible espionage related to six drone sightings near an air base where Ukrainian forces were training to operate Patriot air defense systems from January 9 to 29, 2025.
Authorities suspect the drones were launched from ships in the North or Baltic Seas and are likely linked to Russia.
Russia appears to be using the technological innovations it is developing in its war in Ukraine directly against NATO countries. Russia is developing and improving its drone capabilities, including the resistance of drones to electronic warfare and Russia's own electronic warfare capabilities. NATO and its member states are increasingly warning of Russian sabotage and hybrid operations against members in 2024.
Reports that a NATO member is fighting what are believed to be Russian reconnaissance drones demonstrate the need to develop defense capabilities as Russia continues to use its battlefield experience in Ukraine to innovate in new technologies.