▲ North Korean Self-Propelled Artillery Spotted by Ukrainian Drones
The Ukrainian military, which is currently at war with Russia, announced that it had struck and destroyed three North Korean self-propelled artillery pieces in the Kursk region.
On the 19th (local time), the aviation reconnaissance unit of the Ukrainian 14th Independent Drone Regiment claimed through its Telegram account that it had targeted three North Korean-made M-1978 ‘Goksan’ self-propelled guns in the Kursk region.
The North Korean self-propelled guns were hidden among trees and were equipped with protective nets to block suicide drone attacks.
However, shortly after being spotted by the 14th Independent Drone Regiment, the artillery pieces were reportedly hit by cluster munitions fired from the U.S.-made Multiple Launch Rocket System operated by the Ukrainian military, known as HIMARS.
The North Korean Goksan self-propelled guns use high-explosive fragmentation shells to attack targets up to 43km away, and with rocket-assisted projectiles, their range can extend to 54-60km.
Local media, including Ukrainska Pravda, stated, “This weapon system, equipped with a 170mm main gun, has the longest range of any artillery produced in North Korea, reaching up to 60km.”
They added, “Although originally designed to strike Seoul from north of the demilitarized zone, it is now being used by the Russian military to offset artillery losses in the ongoing war with Ukraine.”
Previously, on the 18th of last month, the Ukrainian military reported destroying a Russian M-1978 Goksan self-propelled gun on the Luhansk front in eastern Ukraine.
The destruction of the North Korean self-propelled artillery in the Ukraine conflict marked the first instance of such an event since the war began on February 24, 2022.
Due to the protracted conflict, Russia began receiving support from North Korea as it faced a shortage of artillery and shells. The first instance of Russian forces using the Goksan self-propelled guns was reportedly observed around October last year.
Ukrainian and Western intelligence agencies have been warning that the volume of weapons supplied by North Korea to Russia is steadily increasing.
(Photo captions: Screenshots from the Ukrainian 14th Independent Drone Regiment’s Telegram account, Yonhap News Agency)