North Korean artillery increasingly seen in Ukrainian conflict
The portal United24 Media, associated with the Ukrainian government, confirmed the destruction of another North Korean self-propelled artillery system. The incident took place in the Donetsk region, further evidencing that the Russians are increasingly utilising weapons from North Korea beyond the Kursk region. This sends a clear signal to the world regarding their lack of domestic artillery capabilities.
This time, the Koksan M-1978 was spotted and effectively targeted in the Pokrovsk direction. Drones with FPV (first person view) technology were employed to eliminate the equipment supplied to Putin's army by Moscow's largest ally, which has been identified as Pyongyang for several months. Several of these unmanned vehicles struck the North Korean artillery hidden among the trees.
M1989 Koksan eliminated in the Donetsk region
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, revealed at the beginning of the year that Russia had already received approximately 120 Koksan guns from North Korea - in the Koksan M-1989 and Koksan M-1978 variants. At the same time, he warned that, according to estimates, similar support would be forthcoming soon.
Weapons from North Korea spread across Ukraine
Initially, artillery from North Korea was used in the Russian Kursk region, where Ukrainians destroyed several units. In recent months, Koksan M-1989 and Koksan M-1978 systems have increasingly appeared in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russians. Ukrainians have already engaged this type of weapon in the Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, among others.
"The fact that a North Korean howitzer was found in the Kupiansk area seems to confirm that the heavy weaponry promised by Pyongyang to Moscow not only supports the North Korean 11th Corps in the Kursk region but also the Russians in Ukrainian territories," assessed Forbes analyst David Axe in one of his publications.
Jarosław Wolski, a Polish defence analyst, suggests that deliveries of this type of weaponry from North Korea are a clear signal to the world, demonstrating the increasingly poor state of Russian artillery.
Koksan M-1989 and Koksan M-1978 are self-propelled howitzers utilising a non-standard calibre of 170 mm. According to official specifications, they provide a range of up to 40 kilometres with standard shells and up to 60 kilometres when using rocket-assisted shells. Analysts doubt this, suggesting that in practice, the capabilities of the Koksan M-1989 and Koksan M-1978 are lesser, and additionally question their technical condition.
