Ukrainian Forces Destroy North Korean 'Wonder Weapon' for the First Time
Ukrainian forces have successfully destroyed a North Korean "wonder weapon" for the first time, according to Kyiv’s military.
The Nemesis 412th Regiment reported that one of its drones struck a North Korean M-1978 Koksan howitzer, which had been supplied to Russia to aid in its war effort.
"In the Luhansk region, fighters from the 412th separate regiment of Nemesis drones targeted and destroyed a rare M-1978 North Korean self-propelled artillery vehicle equipped with a 170mm gun," the regiment stated in a Telegram post.
Accompanying the announcement was a video showing the artillery piece being obliterated. According to the regiment, the first sighting of the Koksan self-propelled gun in Russian service occurred in October 2024.
"We are adding another so-called 'wunderwaffe' of the enemy’s military-industrial complex to the Nemesis collection," the unit declared, using the German term for "wonder weapon."
The regiment explained that the M-1978’s high-explosive fragmentation shells have a firing range of up to 43 kilometers. The weapon is manned by an eight-person crew and has a firing rate of two rounds every five minutes. However, while Nemesis identified the destroyed weapon as an M-1978, some experts suggest it may have been the more advanced M-1989 Koksan.
North Korean Troops in Russia
Meanwhile, reports indicate that up to 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia’s southern Kursk region, fighting alongside Russian forces in an attempt to push Ukrainian troops out of a 250-square-mile area they have controlled for more than six months.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia could be preparing to send up to 3,000 more North Korean troops to the region. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said, "This is based on what we see, though we cannot be certain. We can confirm their presence once they arrive, and then we can make a rough estimate. So far, we are seeing requests for several thousand additional troops."
North Korean security agents reportedly monitor and control their country's troops in Kursk. According to two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine, their commanders told them that South Korean forces were responsible for drone strikes against their positions.
South Korea’s Response
South Korea's defense ministry recently informed a parliamentary committee that North Korea has supplied Russia with approximately 200 long-range artillery pieces and a substantial amount of ammunition.
On Wednesday, South Korean officials reaffirmed their commitment to accepting any North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine who seek asylum. This position has already been communicated to Ukrainian authorities.
Peace Talks in Riyadh
These developments come as senior officials from Russia and the United States met in Riyadh to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
However, President Zelensky, who was not invited to the talks, has stated that any agreement reached without his administration’s approval will not be recognized.
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