Report: North Korean workers at Russian drone plant face 'gross human rights abuses'

CSIS and Bush Institute study details forced labor, wage withholding, and international sanctions failures

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Read Time3 min

As many as 12,000 North Koreans working at a Russian drone factory in Yelabuga are victims of 'gross human rights abuses and human trafficking', according to a joint report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the George W. Bush Institute, published October 14.

The report, released October 14 by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Dallas-based George W. Bush Institute, says Moscow gets access to more than 5,500 drones a month for its war against Ukraine. China benefits as the main supplier of dual-use components, including batteries, internal electronics, engines and navigation systems. Iran has supplied Shahed drones, which helped Moscow produce upgraded domestic variants, known as Geran.

North Korea is earning money by retaining as much as 90% of the wages of the laborers, the report stated. It says Russia and North Korea are defying United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, of December 2017, which requires any UN member state to send North Korean workers home within two years.

"The North Korean regime... is selling the labor of its citizens under a state-to-state arrangement, controlling whether they may leave and collecting most of their wages," the report said. This, according to the report, "is the definition of forced labor."

Song Young-Chae, a Seoul-based academic and human rights activist with the Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea, told DW that Pyongyang is "effectively conducting slavery of its own people and for its own profit." He added that the situation is not limited to Yelabuga, noting construction workers in occupied Ukrainian territories, North Koreans in lumber camps, and tens of thousands of soldiers sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.

Dan Pinkston, a professor of international relations at Troy University's Seoul campus, told DW that the geographical locations of the four countries mean "any kind of international interdiction is impossible." He said UN Security Council resolutions on North Korean workers, weapons proliferation, and the sale of dual-use technologies are all being ignored, and that "the UN's sanctions regime is pretty much dead."

The report calls on the US State Department to work with other countries to disrupt human trafficking networks and sanction those responsible. It urges the UN to investigate the Yelabuga complex and catalogue abuses, demands accountability for perpetrators and protection for victims, and suggests pressuring foreign companies operating in the Yelabuga special economic zone, including "several" European companies and at least one US firm, to leave.

Analysis

Why This Matters

This is not just a factory story: it reveals a four-country axis (Russia, North Korea, China, Iran) cooperating in drone production and human rights abuses, with potentially significant implications for the war in Ukraine and regional security.
The report's finding that North Korea retains 90% of workers' wages underscores a state-level human trafficking operation, and highlights the failure of UN sanctions to deter such practices.
The scale (up to 12,000 workers, 5,500 drones per month) indicates a major military production capability that could prolong the conflict in Ukraine and destabilize the region.

Background

Russia and North Korea have deepened their military and economic cooperation despite UN sanctions, with North Korea supplying artillery and soldiers to Russia's war effort. The Yelabuga plant in Tatarstan has become a focal point for drone production, involving components from China and Iran. The UN Security Council has repeatedly sanctioned North Korea over its weapons programs and labor exports, but enforcement has been limited, especially since Russia and China, both permanent members, have blocked or ignored measures.

Key Perspectives

Report authors (CSIS and Bush Institute): They document a coordinated network where each country benefits: Russia gets drones, China gets supply contracts, Iran contributes technology, and North Korea earns hard currency while keeping most of its workers' pay. They frame it as forced labor and call for international action.

North Korean activist Song Young-Chae: He emphasizes the human cost, calling it slavery, and argues that the situation extends beyond Yelabuga, involving workers in multiple industries and soldiers sent to die. He is pessimistic about solutions given the geographic and political realities.

Academic Dan Pinkston: He stresses the practical impossibility of intervention due to shared borders and the veto power of Russia and China. He also warns of a bloc "ripping up the post-World War II order on the rule of law and human rights" and notes North Korea's learning from the drone war, with implications for South Korean defense.

Critics/Skeptics: While the report is based on open-source analysis and expert interviews, some may question the exact figures or the feasibility of the proposed actions, given the lack of enforcement mechanisms. The report's call for pressuring foreign companies may face legal and diplomatic hurdles.

What to Watch

Whether the US State Department and allies take concrete steps to sanction individuals or entities involved in the Yelabuga labor trafficking, as the report requests.
Any UN Security Council actions or debates on the issue, though Russia and China's positions make new resolutions unlikely.
Continued reports of North Korean workers or soldiers in Russia, which could indicate the scale is growing despite international condemnation.
The development of North Korea's drone capabilities, as Pinkston noted, and how South Korea and its allies respond.

Sources

North Korean workers treated as 'slaves' at Russian drone factory · DW English

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedThe report says North Korean workers at the Russian drone factory are victims of “gross human rights abuses.”DW English: “As many as 12,000 North Koreans working at a Russian drone factory are victims of "gross human rights abuses and human trafficking," according to a new report.”
SupportedAs many as 12,000 North Koreans working at the factory are victims of the reported abuses.DW English: “As many as 12,000 North Koreans working at a Russian drone factory are victims of "gross human rights abuses and human trafficking," according to a new report.”
SupportedThe joint CSIS–George W. Bush Institute report was published on October 14.DW English: “The figures were part of a joint report published on October 14 by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Dallas-based George W. Bush Institute.”
SupportedMoscow gets access to more than 5,500 drones a month for its war against Ukraine.DW English: “While Moscow gets access to more than 5,500 drones a month for its war against Ukraine”
SupportedChina is the main supplier of dual-use components, including batteries, internal electronics, engines and navigation systems.DW English: “China benefits from being the main supplier of dual-use components, including batteries, internal electronics, engines and navigation systems.”
SupportedNorth Korea retains as much as 90% of the workers’ wages.DW English: “North Korea is earning money by retaining as much as 90% of the wages of the laborers, the report stated.”
SupportedThe report says Russia and North Korea are defying Resolution 2397, which requires UN member states to send North Korean workers home within two years.DW English: “The joint report says Russia and North Korea are defying United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, of December 2017, which requires any UN member state to send North Korean workers home within two years.”
SupportedThe report calls the described arrangement “the definition of forced labor.”DW English: “This, according to the report, "is the definition of forced labor."”
SupportedSong Young-Chae said Pyongyang is “effectively conducting slavery of its own people and for its own profit.”DW English: “Song Young-Chae, a Seoul-based academic and human rights activist with the Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea, says Pyongyang is "effectively conducting slavery of its own people and for its own profit."”
SupportedDan Pinkston said the geographical locations of the four countries mean “any kind of international interdiction is impossible.”DW English: “"The geographical locations of these four countries… means that any kind of international interdiction is impossible," Dan Pinkston, a professor of international relations at the Seoul campus of Troy University, told DW.”
SupportedPinkston said UN resolutions on North Korean workers, weapons proliferation and dual-use technology are being ignored, and called the sanctions regime “pretty much dead.”DW English: “"UN Security Council resolutions on North Korean workers, on weapons proliferation, on the sale of dual-use technologies are all being ignored, so I think we can say that the UN's sanctions regime is pretty much dead," Pinkston added.”
SupportedThe report calls on the US State Department to work with other countries to disrupt human-trafficking networks and sanction those responsible.DW English: “the joint report calls on the US State Department to work with other countries to disrupt human trafficking networks and sanction those responsible.”