A Ukrainian journalist has shared what appears to be the first video of a North Korean M1991 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) on Russian soil.
In the video uploaded on defense reporter Yuriy Butusov‘s Telegram channel, Russian servicemen can be seen installing anti-drone protection on the rocket launcher in a hangar.
The MLRS is a counterpart of Russia’s BM-27 Uragan self-propelled 240mm rocket launcher, equipped with 22 barrels capable of firing unguided rockets with 90-kilogram (198 pounds) warheads.
The launcher can hit targets as far away as 40 miles (65 kilometers).
Sources previously reported multiple MLRS units being transferred from Pyongyang to Moscow in January, with footage showing the equipment camouflaged as civilian vehicles in Kursk, western Russia.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian Armed Forces have yet to release official statements acknowledging the video.
A Steady Alliance
Russia and North Korea have deepened their alliance following a defense pact signed in June, obligating both states to provide military assistance “without delay” in the case of attacks and opposing Western sanctions involving goods, financial services, and military advancements.
Aside from missiles, artillery equipment, and ammunition, North Korea has also sent an estimated 14,000 troops to Moscow to aid in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
To date, an estimated 1,100 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in action.
Russia has, in turn, agreed to co-develop drones with its ally, adding multiple variants of mass-produced units to its fleet of reconnaissance and suicide drones.
