North Korea Plans Sending 25,000 Workers, Troops to Russia for Drone Production, Reconstruction

North Korea is significantly expanding its military and labor support to Russia amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops and workers to assist with drone production, combat operations, and reconstruction efforts. Up to 25,000 North Korean workers may be sent to Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone to help mass-produce Iranian-designed Shahed drones, while approximately 6,000 troops, including 1,000 mine-clearing specialists and 5,000 military engineers, are being deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to assist with demining and rebuilding infrastructure damaged during a Ukrainian offensive. These deployments follow a strategic partnership treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang, which includes mutual military assistance provisions. Russian officials, including Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, have publicly acknowledged North Korean military involvement, with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un personally approving the deployments. North Korean forces have already suffered over 6,000 casualties during the conflict and have been praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "brothers-in-arms." Ukraine’s military intelligence has also reported efforts to establish Shahed drone production within North Korea, underscoring the deepening military cooperation between the two countries.