North Korea Supplies Russia with 240mm M-1991 Rocket Launchers

Russian forces have started using North Korean M-1991 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in combat operations against Ukraine.

A Russian serviceman published footage of the launchers from North Korea, whose video was obtained by Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov.

The video captures the North Korean launchers fitted with improvised metal grilles designed to shield them from drone attacks.

The 240mm M-1991 was introduced into service with the Korean People’s Army (KPA) in the late 1980s as an upgrade to the earlier M-1985 system.

Open-source assessments estimate that the KPA operates around 200 M1985/M1991 units.

The designations M1985 and M1991 were assigned by U.S. intelligence and do not reflect the systems’ official names, which remain undisclosed.

Development of the North Korean systems was launched no later than 1980 with rudimentary versions mounted on heavy truck chassis.

Pyongyang sought to replicate the Soviet 220mm Uragan system, and the resulting designs formed the basis for the M-1985 and later the M-1991.

Technical information about the 240mm projectiles used in the M-1991 system has largely been inferred from Iran’s Fajr-3 system, which is believed to be a licensed version of the M-1985.

The M1985/M1991 rockets are approximately 5.2 meters long, with an estimated range of up to 60 kilometers.

However, North Korean sources claimed in 2024 that the missile’s maximum range had been extended to 80 kilometers.

The M-1991 launcher carries 22 rockets and is typically mounted on a Chinese CQ25290 truck chassis, itself a licensed copy of a Romanian vehicle. The system is operated by a two-person crew, in addition to a driver and commander.

Over the past 20 months, Russia is believed to have received between 4 and 6 million North Korean artillery shells via maritime routes established between the two countries.