“On the Oleksandrivka direction, fighters of the Raid unit detected and struck a North Korean Koksan self-propelled artillery system equipped with a 170 mm gun,” the regiment said in a statement.

The unit noted that this weapon is one of the longest-range artillery systems available to Russian forces, capable of firing up to 60 km.

Ukraine burns North Korea’s longest-range artillery deployed by Russia pic.twitter.com/iNvxi1uClp

— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) March 8, 2026

The Raid regiment added that such systems are relatively rare targets on the battlefield. Their use indicates that Russia is trying to compensate for the loss of its own artillery — particularly the wear of barrels on 203 mm 2S7 Pion self-propelled guns — by deploying equipment supplied by North Korea.

What is known about the Koksan

The M-1978 Koksan is a North Korean self-propelled artillery system armed with a 170 mm gun. The designation M-1978 and the name Koksan were given by American military analysts after the system was first identified in 1978 in the North Korean town of Koksan.

The Koksan is the longest-range tube artillery system used by the Korean People’s Army. Its high-explosive shells can reach about 40 km, while rocket-assisted shells can extend the range to around 60 km.

Some analysts believe North Korea also developed chemical munitions for the system.

Photo: North Korean self-propelled artillery system Koksan

Destruction of key Russian targets

Earlier, Ukrainian forces also detected and destroyed a Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system, worth about $1 billion.

Additionally, on the night of March 2, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck several important Russian military facilities in Crimea and the Luhansk region. Rare radar stations were reportedly hit among other targets.

Previously, Ukrainian forces also targeted a command post and supply depots of Russian troops, with fires reported at sites from Belgorod to temporarily occupied territories.