Investigation Exposes North Korean Forced Labor in Russia
Global Rights Compliance revealed a Russian broker network using North Korean forced labor to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine in violation of UN sanctions.
An investigation by Global Rights Compliance, a Hague-based nonprofit, has exposed a Russian recruitment network that illegally employs North Korean workers to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The operation is directed by Moscow-based businessman Vladimir Sokolov through the Black Horse group of companies and the online platform KNDR.su. To circumvent UN sanctions and hiring bans, workers enter Russia on student visas and are placed in industrial facilities, including a military rations factory.
Workers endure exploitative conditions, including 12-hour shifts with only two days off per month. The report alleges that the North Korean state seizes most of the workers' wages to finance its weapons programs, while workers are coerced into staying through threats of retribution against their families. North Korean embassy officials in Moscow reportedly participate by inspecting work sites. This labor scheme complements broader military ties, including a mutual defense pact and the deployment of over 10,000 North Korean troops to Russia since 2024.
The European Union sanctioned Sokolov earlier this month for facilitating commercial and industrial cooperation with North Korea. While one Russian broker denied the accusations, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the North Korean embassy in Moscow did not respond to requests for comment.
