North Korean artillery signals Russian desperation in Ukraine
A recording has emerged on social media showing North Korean M1989 Koksan self-propelled howitzers at the front in Ukraine. According to some experts, these images are a clear signal to the world and evidence of the deteriorating state of Russian artillery, strained by the prolonged war.
"This makes me very happy because it confirms suspicions about the terrible state of Russian artillery after almost 3 years of war—due to wear and tear, lack of barrels, and a dwindling supply of ammunition," wrote Jarosław Wolski, a Polish defense analyst, on his X service profile.
M1989 Koksan on the front in Ukraine
The first information about the possibility of introducing the M1989 Koksan into Russian army service appeared in October 2024. A few weeks later, photos showing the transport of these howitzers in Russia appeared online. At the time, it was suggested that the Russians were in the "initial familiarization" stage with North Korean artillery and might soon start using it in combat.
According to information provided by the North Korean regime, the M1989 Koksan is equipped with a 170 mm caliber gun with a barrel length of 50 calibers, allowing it to strike targets up to 37 miles away.
This impressive range, however, applies to special ammunition. With conventional explosive fragmentation shells, the maximum range is no more than 25 miles. This is still considerable, but analysts and experts question North Korean equipment's technical condition and accuracy.
An ally Russia can count on
"I've already written about the Koksans—briefly put; it's a system developed for terrorist shelling of Seoul. It's an exotic caliber and not very accurate. It's a sign of Russian desperation that they are incorporating it into their armament," wrote Jarosław Wolski.
At the same time, the appearance of the M1989 Koksan in Russia and now on the front in Ukraine illustrates the growing support Pyongyang is providing to Moscow. Initially, this mainly included ammunition, which often proved defective. Over time, this support expanded to include soldiers sent to the Kursk region and heavy military equipment.
How many M1989 Koksans have fallen into Russian hands has not been confirmed. Based on photos and recordings from transports, it is estimated that there could be as many as 50 of these howitzers.
