North Korean forces have re-entered combat in western Russia’s Kursk Oblast, modifying their tactics to use smaller infantry groups and using Bulsae-4 anti-tank guided missile vehicles to target Ukrainian equipment, Forbes reports.
The Pyongyang soldiers resumed operation against the Ukrainian troops earlier this month. Forbes notes that instead of their previous company-sized formations of 100-200 troops, North Korean forces are now engaging in smaller platoon-sized groups of around 50 soldiers. This shift is likely an attempt to evade detection by Ukrainian reconnaissance drones and reduce casualties from Ukrainian strikes.
Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade has been countering these attacks using cluster munitions, which disperse up to 88 submunitions per shell. These weapons have played a critical role in pushing back Russian and North Korean forces. Ukraine’s Army TV says cluster shells are routinely fired at concentrations of enemy troops, followed by high-explosive rounds to maximize impact.
North Korean forces have also deployed Bulsae-4 missile vehicles in Kursk. These six-wheeled, eight-missile launchers were first identified near the front lines in August, with Ukrainian forces successfully destroying one in December. The remaining launchers have continued operating in the region, recently targeting a Ukrainian armored vehicle and a suspected fighting position.
A Ukrainian drone recently recorded a confirmed strike on a North Korean M1989 Koksan howitzer near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian military channels have shared footage of Bulsae-4 missile launchers in action.
Despite these successful strikes, the overall vehicle loss ratio remains heavily skewed against Russian and North Korean forces, with approximately 550 Russian vehicles lost in Kursk since August, compared to around 400 Ukrainian losses, Forbes notes.
North Korean forces reemerge in Kursk as Trump pressures Ukraine to cede 20% of its territory, falsely blaming Kyiv for starting the war. Ukrainian forces remain committed as European aid grows.
A Ukrainian drone operator stationed in Kursk wrote:
“I know nothing about [a] ceasefire. I know nothing about negotiations. I know that the war won’t be over this year. And I know how [to] effectively destroy our enemy.”
Related:
- North Korean propaganda claimed South Koreans operate Ukrainian drones, POWs disclose
- North Korea gains combat experience, improves weapons through Russian war, Ukrainian intel says
- Captured North Korean soldier in Ukraine requests asylum in South Korea
- Ukraine destroys first North Korean-supplied Koksan howitzer – 199 to go (video)
- Six-hour Russian assault repelled by Ukraine’s 110th Mechanized in Donetsk Oblast (video)
