Russian forces deploy rare D‑74 artillery with North Korean aid
The Russian army has been equipped with rare D-74 guns. The production of this weapon ceased many years ago. Moreover, it hasn't been seen in Russian stockpiles long. Everything indicates that the D-74 guns are yet another element in the growing support flowing to Russia from North Korea.
This mysterious Russian weapon caught the attention of Ukrainian analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, among others. On his Telegram profile, he published photos of D-74 guns being used by the Russians against Ukrainians and compared them with old photographs from Russian stockpiles.
D-74 guns in service of the Russian army
"The differences lie in the details that may not catch the eye at first, but they are there. They are most evident in the wheels. In photo number 3, I posted a Soviet D-74 with distinctly different wheel shapes and tire treads. Therefore, we can confidently add the D-74 to the list of weapons provided to Russia by North Korea, which none of our partners have officially announced yet. Although suspicions that such a rare weapon found its way into the Russian army not from its reserves, but from the DPRK, appeared already in 2024," explains Oleksandr Kovalenko.
The Ukrainian analyst adds that the weapon in question was developed between 1947 and 1950, but as early as 1960, it was being withdrawn from the Soviet army's arsenal and sold to other countries. This led to the D-74 arsenal being reduced to a minimum even during the USSR's time. According to the 2023 Military Balance report, in 2023 the Russian army did not possess any D-74 guns.
Russians may have never seen this weapon
Nevertheless, the Russians should not run out of ammunition. Countries to which these guns were delivered localized their production and, in addition to the weapons themselves, were able to provide ammunition. In this case, the Russians are using North Korean OF-472 shells (cal. 122 mm). The range is approximately 19 kilometres.
Kovalenko, however, notes that the D-74 guns are a weapon that the vast majority of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine may never have encountered. This raises questions about their usefulness. Especially since weapons and ammunition from North Korea often turn out to be defective, which Russians themselves have repeatedly emphasized.
"The D-74 is a unique artillery cannon that not every experienced artilleryman has encountered in their career," writes the Ukrainian analyst.
Russia's biggest ally
Initially, North Korea provided Russia with artillery ammunition. As the months of the war in Ukraine passed, the military support flowing from North Korea to Putin's army began to include weapons as well.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, reported that in 2024, Pyongyang delivered to Moscow about 120 M1989 "Koksan" artillery systems, 120 M-1991 multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) with a calibre of 240 mm, and nearly 150 short-range ballistic missiles KN-23. This is in addition to the deployment of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.
