North Korea sent rocket launchers installed on civilian cargo trucks to Russia for use in war. Forbes reported.
The DPRK army first demonstrated these installations during a military parade held in Pyongyang in 2023. Now, they have appeared in the Kursk region in western Russia. The launcher is equipped with 12 122-millimeter rockets ready to be launched, with each having a range of 30.5 kilometers. This represents the fifth major unit of technology deployed by North Korea in Russia.
The truck-mounted launcher has limited advantages. The fact that the launchers are placed on civilian cargo trucks provides the opportunity for a surprise attack on an unprepared enemy. However, this does not help them escape from Ukrainian artillery and drones on the battlefield.
Ukrainians hardly ever hesitate about blowing up civilian vehicles identified near the front line. Now that they know North Koreans are hiding rockets in cargo trucks, they will hesitate even less, David Axe said.
The launchers hidden in trucks may not be of great significance for the battle in the Kursk region.
The system is based on North Korea's open-top BM-21 launcher, which has a lower level of accuracy compared to regular artillery and cannot be used in situations where high precision is required, said representatives of the US Army.
According to estimates by South Korea and the US, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia. Some of them have already participated in the battles in the Kursk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the number of North Korean soldiers sent to the war could reach 100,000. According to Seoul, the DPRK also supplies Russia with heavy artillery – self-propelled howitzers and many missile systems.
