Russia’s crumbling economy has called in thousands of North Korean labourers in an apparant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Around 15,000 workers have been sent to help fill the gap left by the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Wall Street Journal citing South Korean intelligence.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is struggling for manpower due to heavy losses in the war, low birth rates, and people fleeing the country ever since he launched the attampted invasion, according to the The Kyiv Independent.
Bu the end of the decade, the country’s labor shortage could number 2.4 million people, compared to the current 1.5 million gap, according to the Russian Labor Ministry.
North Korea has been one of Russia’s staunchest allies since the start of the war, and have alrerady sent troops to fight after the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty in November.
In 2024, 12,000 North Korean troops arrived in Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine, and in 2025, another 3,000 arrived, according to South Korean intelligence. It is estimated around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces.
However, the move to send workers appears to go against UN resolutions passed in the wake of the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.
Russia’s economy may have shrunk in the first quarter of 2025 for the first time in nearly three years, the Vedomosti business newspaper reports.
Already hit by a raft of international sanctions, the country was also struck by weak industrial output and low oil prices. The true picture is expected to be revealed next week.
As reported by The Express, The State Duma – the lower house of the Federal Assembly – has announced plans to revise the federal budget as there are currently significant discrepancies between revenue and spending.
This could prompt tax increases for inviduals and businesses to stablise the economy as the deficit is predicted to soar by a shocking a 220%.
Government plans showed a proposed personal income tax increase of 180% and a corporate income tax increase of 110%. VAT is also set to shoot up by 17%, putting many small and medium-sized businesses at the risk of bankruptcy.
The Russian Intelligence Service said: “Up to 30% of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia are already on the verge of bankruptcy. By the end of this year, this figure is expected to increase to 50%.”