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Russia Mounts North Korean Type-75 Rockets on 'Varan' Robot Tanks for Battlefield Strikes
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian forces have begun using robotic ground platforms to transport North Korean-made Type-75 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), according to new visual evidence analyzed by open-source observers.
According to Defense Express on July 6, footage has emerged showing Russian troops employing a tracked robotic platform known as “Varan” to move and operate the Type-75 MLRS.
The video reportedly captures both the system being transported to a firing position and its crew launching fragmentation rockets marked as RSZO-107-OF. The video was highlighted by the Ukrainian military monitoring group SPZh “Vodohrai.”
🇷🇺🤖 Russians tow North Korean Type-75 MLRS with their Varan ground drone — despite the system weighing ~600 kg. pic.twitter.com/t4mfSqPBS6
— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) July 6, 2025
The use of the Varan platform reflects a broader Russian effort to integrate experimental robotic systems into frontline operations.
These developments follow reports in late June confirming that Russian forces had taken delivery of the Type-75 MLRS from North Korea, along with previously unseen cluster munitions.
This is not the first instance of Russia using the Varan system in combat support roles. In May 2024, Russian units were observed mounting a Triton electronic warfare system on the platform to shield assault groups during operations.
More recently, in February 2025, video footage surfaced showing a Varan equipped with the “Okhotnik” combat module carrying three Kornet anti-tank guided missiles.
Russia officially launched serial production of the Varan ground robotic complex in 2024, with stated plans to manufacture approximately 300 units annually.
The platform is designed to carry payloads of up to 200 kilograms and has also been described by Russian sources as suitable for use as a loitering munition.
Earlier, Forbes reported that Ukrainian drone units have gained a tactical edge over Russian armored forces, with FPV drones playing a key role in neutralizing tanks worth millions using devices that cost just a few hundred dollars.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, nearly 10,000 Russian tanks have been destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion—many by drones produced by an industry that barely existed three years ago.
