Amid the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, a North Korean self-propelled howitzer was struck by the Ukrainian army in Kiev. The “M-1978 Koksan” artillery piece had been supplied by Russia.

A UAV belonging to the Ukrainian army targeted a North Korean self-propelled howitzer in the Luhansk region. The Ukrainian military, in its statement, noted that this was the first time since the beginning of the conflict that a “very rare” North Korean M-1978 Koksan howitzer had been hit by a Ukrainian UAV. South Korean intelligence, alongside other sources, reported that not only was North Korea deploying troops in the conflict, but Kim Jong-un’s regime also supplied the Koksan self-propelled artillery pieces.

According to assessments from Ukraine, the USA, and South Korea, North Korea has deployed thousands of soldiers to support the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. This marks North Korea’s most significant involvement in a conflict since the 1950s.

3,000 NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS KILLED ACCORDING TO KIEV Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Camille Shea, stated to the UN Security Council in January 2025 that over 12,000 North Korean soldiers were present in Russia, engaging in combat against Ukrainian forces along the Kursk border region. Initially, Moscow and Pyongyang denied the deployment reports, but in October 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not deny the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, with a North Korean official suggesting such a move would be legal. By Kiev’s account, over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured in Russia by the beginning of January 2025. That same month, the Ukrainian military claimed that their special operations forces had not seen North Korean troops in the battle zone in Kursk for about three weeks and had to retreat after suffering heavy losses.