North Korea is preparing to send Russia over 100 M1989 Koksan howitzers, originally designed to target Seoul, for use in its war against Ukraine. These 170mm “juche cannons,” among the world’s longest-range artillery systems, were built to devastate the South Korean capital in a potential conflict, The Telegraph reported.

Kyiv’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov earlier told The Warzone that North Korea was preparing to double the number of artillery systems it has sent to Russia’s border oblast of Kursk. Pyongyang has already supplied Moscow with 120 M1989 Koksan howitzers and 120 M1991 multiple-launch rocket systems over the past three months, he said.

The M1989 Koksan, a 40-ton self-propelled gun first revealed in a 1989 military parade, can strike targets at ranges exceeding 25 miles using standard shells. North Korean troops are currently training Russian forces on the weapon’s operation, with combat use already confirmed, Budanov said.

Evidence of deliveries emerged in late December when footage showed a train transporting at least 10 M1989 Koksans to Russia, with their 25-foot-long barrels visible and minimal camouflage. By 7 January, video footage from Kursk showed the artillery in the battlefield, with a North Korean soldier referring to it as a “gift” from Kim Jong-un.

Pyongyang’s involvement in Russia’s Kursk Oblast

According to The Telegraph, North Korean forces have recently withdrawn from certain front-line positions in Kursk. A Ukrainian commander with the call sign “Puls” told Sky News that North Korean troops would likely return soon, noting their high motivation despite heavy casualties. Puls described how the soldiers, unfamiliar with modern warfare tactics, became easy targets when attacking in large groups “like in World War II.”

According to BBC reports citing Western officials, approximately 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 3,000 wounded while fighting in Ukraine.

North Korea deployed 11,000 soldiers to Russia in late October to assist Moscow’s operations in the Kursk border region following Ukraine’s August incursion. The South Korean joint chiefs of staff reported that Pyongyang is preparing additional troop deployments, with US officials telling The New York Times these reinforcements could arrive within two months.

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