Russia Trains North Korea in Uranium Hunting Amid Rising Nuclear Tensions

Russia has launched a training program for North Korean geologists focused on uranium and other mineral resources, according to a statement published by Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU).

The initiative is organized by the Russian company Urangeo together with IRNITU. On August 19, the two-week advanced training course began for North Korean specialists in the field of solid mineral geology. The program includes both theoretical and practical modules.

As part of the training, participants will visit facilities of Urangeo, a company with long-standing expertise in uranium exploration and extraction.

The enterprise is also engaged in surveying and developing deposits of titanium, gold, coal, and other minerals, as well as underground water and drilling projects.

Alexey Desyatkin, general director of Zarubezhgeologia, said the program was designed to provide a platform for professional exchange and to familiarize North Korean participants with modern methods and technologies.

A representative of the North Korean embassy in Russia noted that this project marks the first joint initiative between the two countries in geology and resource development.

IRNITU Rector Mikhail Kornyakov added that the university already trains North Korean students in several disciplines, including geology, information technology, energy, and engineering.

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The cooperation comes as international monitoring bodies raise fresh concerns about North Korea’s nuclear activities. In June, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported that satellite imagery shows the construction of a new building in Yongbyon with dimensions similar to the enrichment facility at Kangson.

Grossi stressed that undeclared enrichment sites in North Korea remain a matter of “serious concern” and represent violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

Earlier, a US Congressional report revealed that North Korea may now have enough nuclear material for up to 90 warheads—thanks in part to growing support from Russia, which has reportedly accelerated Pyongyang’s weapons development and testing efforts.

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