Ukrainian Troops Destroy North Korea's Howitzer Artillery Vehicle

JAKARTA - Ukrainian troops destroyed North Korea's howitzer artillery vehicle on the east front in a war that has lasted nearly three years with Russia.

The Khortytsia troop group said this was the first time since the start of the conflict, howitzer Koksan 1978 North Korea was hit by a Ukrainian drone.

In the Luhansk region, warplanes from the 412th separate regiment ofMERISis drones attacked the extremely rare North Korean self-driving artillery vehicle M-1978 with 170mm caliber, "said a statement posted on Telegram reported by Reuters, Wednesday, February 19.

The post was accompanied by a video showing the military's targets being detonated, and said Koksan was first seen in the war in October 2024.

North Korea's military assistance to Russia covered about 200 long-range artillery and a large amount of ammunition, South Korea's defense ministry told parliamentary committee last week.

The Luhansk region, which is mostly occupied by Russian troops, is one of four regions officially annexed by Russia in 2022.

Ukrainian and Western military experts said up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed in the Kursk region of southern Russia along with Russian forces and also reported military equipment from Pyongyang used.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week Russia could send up to 3,000 more North Korean troops to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops control parts of the region more than six months after launching cross-border attacks.

North Korean security agents monitored and controlled their state forces in Kursk, and informed them that the South Korean military flew drones to attack them, according to interviews with two North Korean war prisoners arrested in Ukraine reported by South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilboon on Wednesday.

South Korea's foreign ministry said on Wednesday Seoul would provide the necessary protection and support in accordance with basic principles of accepting all North Korean prisoners of war arrested by Ukraine if they asked to go to South Korea.

South Korea has submitted this position to Ukraine, the foreign ministry said.