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Russia has recruited about 20,000 North Korean workers to manufacture military equipment, chief of Ukraine’s General Staff Maj. Gen. Andrii Hnatov told Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform on Oct. 1.
Hnatov cautioned that the figures are based on preliminary intelligence assessments and require verification.
He said North Korean specialists are helping assemble Geran drones at facilities in Yelabuga, Tatarstan.
Asked about North Korean soldiers Russia has deployed against Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast, Hnatov said a “certain contingent” remains stationed there.
“They are undergoing training; Russia portrays them as engineering units brought in for mine clearance…,” the general said.
“We have not observed them on the front line, nor have we seen direct involvement in combat operations so far. But the contingents are there.”
In August, the BBC reported that thousands of North Korean citizens were sent to Russia under harsh labor requirements: 18-hour workdays, two days off per year, and strict oversight by North Korean intelligence services.
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