Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance operators from the 14th Separate UAV Regiment, in coordination with a rocket artillery unit, successfully struck three rare North Korean Koksan self-propelled artillery systems in russia’s Kursk region.
The artillery pieces, supplied to russia as military aid from North Korea, were hidden among trees and equipped with makeshift grills to counter FPV drone attacks. Despite these defensive measures, Ukrainian drone operators detected the targets and adjusted fire from rocket artillery, which employed high-explosive fragmentation and cluster munitions to neutralize them.
This marks the second confirmed strike on the Koksan system since the start of the full-scale invasion. The first was destroyed in February 2025 by operators of the Nemesis 412th Regiment in Luhansk region.
The Koksan M1978 is the longest-range tube artillery system in North Korean arsenal, boasting a 170 mm gun with a firing range of up to 60 km. Originally developed to target Seoul from across the demilitarized zone, russia is now deploying these systems in Ukraine in an effort to offset its artillery losses.