MOSCOW(BN24) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree banning foreign-made military uniforms for the Russian Armed Forces beginning Jan. 1, 2026, and requiring all fabrics and materials to be produced domestically by 2027.
The order, dated Aug. 11, directs the government, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to ensure that Russian companies within the country manufacture all military clothing and equipment. By the following year, the materials used in production must also come from Russian sources.
The decree leaves unanswered whether the ban will apply to close allies such as Belarus and Kazakhstan, which share membership in a free trade bloc with Russia. Moscow has not disclosed the countries currently supplying its military uniforms.
In 2022, Radio Free Asia reported that North Korea had produced uniforms for Russia using materials supplied by Moscow, with manufacturing in Pyongyang and delivery by rail. The two nations signed a mutual defense treaty in 2024, strengthening military and trade cooperation. Under the pact, Pyongyang has provided troops, weapons and ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for resources and technology.
It is unclear if North Korea has continued uniform shipments since 2022 or whether the new regulations will disrupt the trade.
