Vietnam factories sew military uniforms for Russia, investigation finds

September 30, 2026 at 11:58 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Vietnam's state employment center in June advertised recruitment for workers to sew clothing for Russia's defense needs, offering vocational training, two-to-three-year contracts, and preferential loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. The investigation by Ilya Shumanov's TriTrace Investigations bureau reported the recruitment drive. A joint statement after Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to Moscow in September described defense and security cooperation as a pillar of bilateral relations.

Key Facts

Vietnam's state employment center in June advertised recruitment for workers to sew clothing for Russia's defense needs, offering vocational training, two-to-three-year contracts, and preferential loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.
A joint statement after Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to Moscow in September described defense and security cooperation as a pillar of bilateral relations.
The Vietkafe Tekhnologii factory in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast, employs more than 200 Vietnamese citizens, with a significant share of orders for military and Russian state structures, according to Vietnam's VTV state channel in August 2025.
Triada-TKO, a military clothing manufacturer within the Kalashnikov concern, has since 2025 fully acquired some of 11 firms linked to Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Vladimir, Tula, Ryazan, and Moscow oblasts, and holds a 21% stake in others.
In 2026, Milton group companies applied to attract 35 seamstresses from Myanmar and 50 from Bangladesh, while Demida, linked to Vietkafe, requested another 300 Bangladeshi workers.

Recruitment Drive

Vietnam's state employment center in June advertised recruitment for workers to sew clothing for Russia's defense needs. The advertisement promised vocational training, two-to-three-year labor contracts, and preferential loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. The investigation by Ilya Shumanov's TriTrace Investigations bureau reported the recruitment drive.

Bilateral Defense Cooperation

A joint statement after Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to Moscow in September described defense and security cooperation as a pillar of bilateral relations. The statement noted Russia's support for Vietnamese investment in the textile industry. Vietnam already has production capacity in Russia, with about 200 sewing enterprises established by Vietnamese and more than 10,000 Vietnamese workers active as early as 2018.

Factory Ownership and Contracts

The Vietkafe Tekhnologii factory in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast, employs more than 200 Vietnamese citizens, with a significant share of orders for military and Russian state structures, according to Vietnam's VTV state channel in August 2025. The Unified State Register of Legal Entities shows the company is owned and managed by Russian citizens, although VTV named Nguyen Van Nam as chairman of the board of directors. The factory is linked to Vietkafe Management, which controls the Pho Bo Cafe restaurant chain. Triada-TKO, a military clothing manufacturer within the Kalashnikov concern, has since 2025 fully acquired some of 11 firms linked to Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Vladimir, Tula, Ryazan, and Moscow oblasts, and holds a 21% stake in others. In 2026, Milton group companies applied to attract 35 seamstresses from Myanmar and 50 from Bangladesh, while Demida, linked to Vietkafe, requested another 300 Bangladeshi workers.