North Korean laborers are manufacturing military drones at Russian factories for use against Ukraine, providing a source of revenue for Pyongyang's weapons programs. The US and its allies stated the mobilization occurs in defiance of international sanctions to support Russia's wartime production efforts.

An international monitoring report showed Wednesday that North Korea has sent around 100,000 workers abroad, primarily to China and Russia. Some of these employees are involved in drone assembly in violation of United Nations sanctions.