In the third quarter of 2024, more than 3,700 North Koreans entered Russia, citing the purpose of their arrival as "education." This is derived from the data of the border service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which Mediazona drew attention to.

According to the Russian border guards, 3,765 North Korean citizens arrived in Russia, between July and September, to study; this number is a record, Mediazona says.

During the entire pre-Covid year of 2019, a total of 3,200 North Koreans had entered Russia—and stating that the purpose of their arrival was to study.

Mediazona notes, however, that the number of quotas for North Korean university students in Russia remains low. According to the Russian authorities, in April 2024, about 130 university students from North Korea were studying in Russia.

This surge in the number of North Korean university students in Russia comes amid reports—that first surfaced in October 2024—of sending North Korean military to Russia.