The Armed Forces of Ukraine have for the first time destroyed an exotic "Koksan" self-propelled artillery unit from North Korea at the front

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have for the first time destroyed an exotic "Koksan" self-propelled artillery unit from North Korea at the front

A North Korean artillery installation based on "Koksan" was recorded in the Luhansk region. For the first time, fighters of the 412 opBps Nemesis were able to target it.

Ukrainian fighters destroyed a 170-millimeter self-propelled artillery installation M1978 "Koksan" detected in the Luhansk region. This was reported by the 412th Nemesis regiment.

The video shows how a Ukrainian drone detected and identified the target, after which the enemy’s self-propelled installation came under attack by dropping.

"We add a new enemy military industrial complex wonder weapon to the achievements collection of NEMESIS," reads the caption to the video.

The system’s barrel mount and the barrel itself, with variable thickness and a characteristic muzzle brake, helped to specifically identify the DPRK SPG hit, writes Defence Express.

Also, the M-1989 Koksan features characteristic commander and driver hatches on the front of the SPG’s body. In the thermal imager, they appear as dark squares.

The strike occurred in the area of the engine-transmission compartment, so it is likely that the "Koksan" sustained damage to the power unit. The 170-mm barrel of the system could also have been damaged.

This incident, as claimed by Defence Express authors, exposes a number of weaknesses in the artillery system. Since "Koksan" cannot be protected by the traditional "grills" used by the Russian Armed Forces, it has vulnerable zones for drone strikes. Moreover, "Koksans" based on Chinese chassis from the T-54 tank — Type 59, have relatively low mobility.