- Category
- Latest news
Ukraine’s Drone Forces Shred Russian Artillery, Four Rare North Korean Koksan Guns Knocked Out, Video
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian drone operators have destroyed four North Korean–made M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery systems deployed by Russian forces, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces announced on September 30.
The mission was carried out by the 412th Nemesis Regiment, which used both bomber drones and FPV drones to strike the weapons.
Operators of the Unmanned Systems Forces eliminated four North Korean “Koksan” self-propelled artillery systems.
— 🇺🇦 Unmanned Systems Forces (@usf_army) September 30, 2025
Fighters from the 412th Nemesis Regiment of the USF identified and struck the Koksan self-propelled artillery units in Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. One of the… pic.twitter.com/txe1Kr0wBA
Footage released by the unit shows direct hits on the barrels and breech blocks of the artillery pieces—damage that effectively renders the systems inoperable. Shrapnel from the strikes appeared to warp and fracture the long gun barrels, making further use impossible.
Military analysts say the repeated targeting of these weapons points to a broader trend: Moscow may be equipping more of its artillery brigades with North Korean hardware.
Back in May, Russia reportedly transferred a newly formed artillery brigade within the reconstituted Leningrad Military District to Koksan systems.
The M1989 Koksan, first unveiled at a military parade in the North Korean city of Koksan in 1989, is a rare and formidable platform.
Weighing 40 tons, it is armed with a 170mm gun capable of firing standard rounds up to 40 kilometers, and extended-range shells as far as 60 kilometers. That range surpasses any conventional tube artillery currently in Russia’s arsenal.
Its only peer in terms of reach is the Soviet-designed 2S7 Pion 203mm howitzer—and even then, only when firing rocket-assisted projectiles. However, the Koksan is slow-firing, typically managing just one or two rounds every five minutes.
“Symbolically, the expensive North Korean guns that Russia hoped would give its artillery an edge are being knocked out by Ukrainian drones,” Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces noted.
Earlier, a North Korean-made self-propelled artillery system, Koksan, was destroyed in a precision strike carried out by Ukrainian forces using HIMARS in eastern Ukraine.
-24ca8683eb01b729cd8fae98f952003a.jpg "Ukrainian Ratel-S drone equipped with a downed Shahed warhead. (Source: omelyanovi4/Instagram)")
-0158b6b681e3668f470de36aedad9e3c.jpg "Russian Su-24 bomber moments before Ukrainian drone strike, Crimea. (Source: HUR)")
