FT: North Korea transfers long-range weapons to Russia

Russia received long-range missile and artillery systems from North Korea. Some of them were placed in the Kursk region, where the North Korean military is also involved in the battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Financial Times writes about this with reference to Ukrainian intelligence data.

In recent weeks, North Korea has transferred to Russian forces approximately 50 170mm M1989 self-propelled howitzers, known as Koksan, and 20 upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launchers that fire standard and guided missiles.

These weapons systems can fire projectiles at a distance of more than 60 kilometers. The modernized rocket salvo system, which the DPRK handed over to the Russians, is based on the 220-mm self-propelled BM-27 Uragan self-propelled howitzer of Soviet design. Pyongyang has claimed that its modernized MLRS has high-precision ammunition.

According to a high-ranking Ukrainian official, North Korea now wants to test its weapons in real combat.

This week, Russian "war bloggers" published a photo of a North Korean artillery system in Russia and captioned it as M1989. In the pictures, she was on the railway platform.

According to Michael Kofman, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Pyongyangʼs involvement in the war is deepening: "From transferring large amounts of ammunition and weapons to becoming a direct party in this war, which could help Russian troops retake the Kursk region."

The participation of the military of North Korea in the war in Ukraine

On October 24, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the first soldiers from the DPRK had already arrived at the front — in the Kursk region. There are approximately 12 000 military personnel, including 500 officers and three generals.

On November 6, the American newspaper The New York Times wrote that the North Korean troops suffered their first losses in the battles against Ukraine. The North Koreans fought together with the Russian 810 separate brigade of marines. It is not clear when exactly the battle took place, but it was small and there the Koreans suffered their first losses.

According to the publicationʼs sources, Russia has assembled a group of 50 000 soldiers for the offensive in the Kursk region. The North Koreans are trained in artillery fire, basic infantry tactics and, most importantly, trench clearing, the US officials say. This means that at least part of the military from North Korea will be used in frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions.

The participation of North Koreans in the battles against Ukraine was also confirmed in the USA and South Korea.

• North Korea and Russia recently ratified the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that their leaders signed in June. Among other things, it contains a pact on mutual defense.

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