North Korea sends additional 170-mm Koksan howitzers to Russia

Despite the fact that the M-1989 Koksan has been mentioned in Russia since October, they have not been seen in combat so far, Defense Express reports.

A new footage shows an entire trainload of these systems, with at least a dozen SPGs visible, covered in green camouflage nets. The wheels display a clean white rim, indicating that the equipment likely traveled by rail rather than under its own power. The time and location of the video remain unknown.

This is not the first sighting of these artillery systems in Russia. Their movement was first documented in mid-November, when one was spotted on a railway platform in Krasnoyarsk. Earlier, reports surfaced in October about Russian forces training with the Koksan systems at the Artillery Command School in Saratov.

Despite these transfers, there is no verified evidence of these 170-mm systems being used in combat by Russian forces. Analysts believe Russia views the North Korean Koksan as a potential alternative to the 203-mm Pion SPGs, whose numbers have been significantly reduced due to Ukrainian military actions.

The M-1989 Koksan boasts a declared firing range of up to 60 km using rocket-assisted projectiles and 40 km with standard shells. However, its firing rate is limited to 1-2 rounds every five minutes.

The unique 170-mm caliber is exclusive to North Korea, making these SPGs reliant on North Korean ammunition supplies. This caliber likely originates from the design of the Koksan, which is based on the German K 18 heavy gun from World War II.