A high precision rocket strike conducted by Ukraine’s artillery and special forces has destroyed a North Korean KN09 multiple rocket launcher system that was being used by Russian troops in the Kursk region. This is the first confirmed destruction of this advanced foreign system in the ongoing war.
The operation was guided by aerial reconnaissance from drone operators of Ukraine’s elite Fourth Special Operations Regiment, known as the Rangers. They identified the exact position of the KN09 and coordinated the attack using real time surveillance. A single precision guided GMLRS rocket, launched from a United States supplied HIMARS unit, detonated within metres of the North Korean launcher. The resulting shrapnel triggered an explosion that obliterated the vehicle.
The strike occurred near the village of Pervomaiskyi in Russia’s Kursk region, according to OSINT analyst Scriptbar Ashka. Video evidence of the hit has since spread across social media, exposing yet again the Kremlin’s reliance on imported or copied weaponry.
The KN09, also designated as M205 or KNSSX09, is a 300 millimetre calibre system with a range of up to 200 kilometres. Each battery typically includes two launchers with four missiles each. Experts suspect the system is not an entirely domestic product of North Korea but possibly based on Chinese or Russian designs such as the Wushi SY300, A100, or the BM30 Smerch.
Meanwhile, on the Novopavlivka front, Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade used first person view drones to destroy a newly produced Russian Voskhod MLRS system. This weapon, only introduced into serial production in 2023, was reduced to twisted metal. Ukrainian reports mockingly described how Russian soldiers, lacking proper electronic warfare defences, resorted to sticking painted plastic washbowls on their vehicles to fake electronic jamming equipment.
Russia’s ongoing ceasefire claims have also come under scrutiny. Despite Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary truce from May 8th to 10th, Ukrainian officials documented 734 violations and 63 assault operations by Russian forces in a mere 12 hour period.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the ceasefire as a sham, confirming to global partners including the United States, the EU, and others that Russia has no intent to pause hostilities. Ukrainian intelligence reports detail 586 Russian attacks, 464 involving heavy weapons, 176 drone strikes, and 10 air strikes within a half day alone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that any genuine ceasefire could be enacted immediately without delay. Kuleba reiterated Ukraine’s openness to a 30 day full ceasefire as a step toward peace, should Russia comply.
Meanwhile, international tensions flared elsewhere as Indian and Pakistani forces reportedly exchanged missile strikes near the border. India claimed to have hit nine terrorist targets in Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of links to attacks that killed 26 people. Pakistan denied the accusations and labelled India’s actions a provocation, asserting its right to respond militarily.
Across Ukraine, the 14th Regiment of Unmanned Aerial Systems continues to play a decisive role in tracking and striking Russian logistical hubs, using tactical drones to disrupt supply chains and provide front line intelligence.
