Ukrainian Military Hits North Korean Koksan Self-Propelled Gun in Donetsk Region

The Ukrainian military struck a North Korean Koksan self-propelled artillery system in the Donetsk region.

The Muramasa FPV Drone Group of the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade released the video of the incident.

The strike was performed using precision FPV drones.

Aerial reconnaissance officers of the 414th ‘Birds of Magyar’ Strike UAV Brigade uncovered the location of a Russian invasion forces’ self-propelled gun.

The video footage shows Ukrainian soldiers launching a precise strike on the enemy artillery system using multiple attack drones while it was positioned in a forested area.

The hit on the Koksan self-propelled gun took place in the Pokrovsk sector, where intense battles between Ukrainian defenders and Russian invaders are ongoing.

“We continue to work in the area of cover with DYKYIRIZ XL drones from the Sternenko Foundation. UAVs, cars, and motorcycles are what we have in our sights. Revenge for the city of Sumy will be painful,” Muramasa FPV Drone Group shared.

The first losses to these systems were inflicted by the 412th NEMESIS Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment, which struck a North Korean self-propelled gun in the Luhansk region using a night bomber drone.

Later, in March 2025, the external pilots of the 14th Separate Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces detected and adjusted artillery fire onto three North Korean M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery systems.

Previously, the Strike Drone Company “Chornyy Stryzh” (Common Swift – ed.) hunted down a North Korean Koksan self-propelled gun. In total, two FPV drones were used to destroy the artillery system. One of them set it on fire, causing significant damage.

Koksan

The M1989 Koksan is a 40-ton North Korean-made self-propelled artillery system. The unit uses a rare 170mm caliber, and its long-barreled cannon provides a significant range. According to available data, the range of conventional shells is 40 km, and when using active-reactive ammunition, it can reach up to 60 km.

The movement of trains with North Korean M1989s through Russia was recorded in November and December 2024. According to Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Russia has received 120 self-propelled guns of this type and is expected to receive the same number in the future.