HIMARS Destroys North Korean KN-09 Rocket Launcher for First Time

Ukrainian forces have reportedly destroyed a North Korean KN-09 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the first confirmed instance of such a strike.

The target was located and adjusted for fire using a reconnaissance drone operated by Ukraine’s 4th Ranger Regiment.

A U.S.-made HIMARS launcher was used in the strike, which required only a single guided missile.

The GMLRS M30A1 round, equipped with a warhead containing tungsten balls, landed within meters of the launcher, causing it to ignite from fragmentation damage.

OSINT analyst Skripka stated that the KN-09 was destroyed near the village of Pervomaysky in the Kursk region.

A GMLRS shell from a HIMARS hits near a North Korean KN-09 installation in the Kursk region. 2025. Photo credits: 4th Ranger Regiment of Special Operations Forces

The KN-09 is a 300 mm MLRS with a range of up to 200 kilometers. Each system typically consists of two launchers with four missiles each.

Recent parades in North Korea have shown a version of the system with 12 launch tubes.

In 2016, South Korean military officials reported that the KN-09 achieved a 200 km range during a test flight, reaching an altitude of 50 km.

In April 2025, it was confirmed that Russian forces had begun using North Korean M-1991 rocket launchers in Ukraine.

The 240 mm M-1991, developed in the late 1980s, is a modernized version of the earlier M-1985 system.

Over the past 20 months, Russia has reportedly received between 4 million and 6 million artillery shells from North Korea, with a maritime supply route established between the two countries.