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GMLRS Strike Takes Out North Korean M-1991 in Kursk—First Confirmed Strike Caught on Video
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
A North Korean 240mm multiple rocket launcher used by Russian forces has been destroyed in Ukraine for the first time, according to newly surfaced footage from the 4th Regiment of Special Operation Forces of Ukraine, carrying out a GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) strike near the town of Pervomaiskyi in Russia’s Kursk region on May 6.
The strike marks the first documented elimination of the M-1991 launcher on the battlefield—just before the first footage of Russian forces using North Korean-made M-1991 multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) in its war against Ukraine surfaced in Russian pro-war Telegram channels on May 7, marking the first documented deployment of the 240mm system on the battlefield.
New images confirm that some of the launchers have been retrofitted with anti-drone defenses, including metal cages mounted above the crew compartments. The systems also appear to be partially reinforced with additional armor around their launch tubes.
A marking on the cabin—identified as the tactical symbol of Russia’s “Sever” (North) Group of Forces—suggests that at least some of the North Korean systems are in service with units from Russia’s Leningrad Military District.
The M-1991 is a 240mm MRL introduced into the Korean People’s Army in the late 1980s. It is an evolution of the earlier M1985 system. Western intelligence assigned the M1985/M1991 designations based on the year the launchers were first observed, as Pyongyang has never publicly disclosed their official names.
Roughly 200 of these MRL systems are believed to be in the North Korean arsenal today. The original M1985 was developed in the early 1980s and mounted on heavy truck chassis in an attempt to replicate the Soviet 220mm Uragan system.
The launchers are capable of firing 22 rockets and were initially mounted on a Chinese CQ25290 truck—a licensed copy of a Romanian military vehicle. Each unit typically has a two-person crew, plus a driver and commander.
The rockets fired by the M-1991 are believed to be 5.2 meters long and have a maximum range of 60 kilometers.
However, in 2024, reports claimed North Korea had achieved an extended range of up to 80 kilometers.
Technical details about the ammunition are primarily drawn from Iran’s Fajr-3 system, which is thought to be a licensed variant of the M1985.
Earlier, reports emerged that North Korea had begun large-scale production of its KN-25 long-range artillery system, one of the most powerful rocket launchers of its kind.
The KN-25, a hybrid between a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and a tactical ballistic missile, fires 600mm guided rockets capable of striking targets up to 380 kilometers away.
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
