Ukrainian forces destroy North Korean KN-09 launcher in Russia’s Kursk region

Ukrainian military units achieved a notable success with the destruction of a North Korean KN-09 MLRS, reportedly used by Russian forces near the border region of Kursk. This marks the first confirmed instance of Ukrainian forces targeting and eliminating this advanced North Korean system.

The strike was carried out with the support of drone operators from Ukraine’s 4th Special Operations Regiment "Ranger." Using real-time aerial reconnaissance, the operators identified the target and helped coordinate precision fire.

A single shot from a U.S.-supplied HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) proved decisive. The guided GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) round struck just meters from the launcher, causing it to ignite and explode due to shrapnel impact.

According to open-source intelligence researcher known by the pseudonym “Skrypka,” the destroyed system was located near the settlement of Pervomaiskyi. The footage of the strike has been published online and widely shared, drawing attention to the continued use of foreign-supplied or foreign-designed weapons by Russian forces.

What is the KN-09 rocket artillery system?

The KN-09 is a relatively rare and long-range North Korean rocket artillery system, capable of firing 300mm rockets with considerable destructive power. Its deployment in Russia raises further questions about the extent of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The KN-09 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), also known by the designations M-2015 and KN-SS-X-09, is believed to have a firing range of up to 200 km. The origin of such large-caliber, long-range rockets in North Korea remains unknown.

The most likely source of the technology is Russia, in the form of the BM-30 Smerch, or the Chinese A-100 system. The latter has already been exported to Belarus, where it was renamed Polonez, and has also been contracted by the United Arab Emirates.

However, the most probable origin is considered to be the Chinese Weishi SY300. The least likely scenario is that North Korea independently developed the system by modernizing its existing 240-mm MLRS systems, such as the M-1985, M-1989, and M-1991.

Development of the KN-09 began in the early 2010s, and by 2013 at least seven test launches had already been registered. The first public demonstration of the system occurred in 2015, featuring a version with eight launch tubes.

In 2016, the KN-09 fired at a range of 200 km, with the rockets reaching an altitude of 50 km. This was officially reported by South Korea, which remotely monitored the test.