--- title: "North Korean Air Defense System Revealed In Ukraine By Russian Friendly Fire Strike" description: "A North Korean-made mobile surface-to-air missile system has appeared for the first time in the Ukraine conflict. While the official name of the air defense system remains unknown, it’s among the latest examples of Pyongyang’s [military assistance for Moscow’s war]().…" date: "2025-01-13" modified: "2025-01-13" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/land/north-korean-air-defense-system-revealed-in-ukraine-by-russian-friendly-fire-strike" categories: - "Armies" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Land" - "News & Features" - "North Korea" - "Russia" - "Russian Army" - "Short-Range Air Defense Systems (SHORADS)" - "Surface-To-Air Missile Systems" - "Ukraine" --- # North Korean Air Defense System Revealed In Ukraine By Russian Friendly Fire Strike ![A North Korean-made mobile surface-to-air missile system has appeared for the first time in the Ukraine conflict. The air defense system, the name of which remains unknown, is the latest example of Pyongyang’s military assistance for Moscow’s war. Ironically, however, its presence in the fighting was disclosed by a video shared by Russian military bloggers, showing it being attacked by a Russian drone, in an apparent ‘blue on blue’ incident.]() *via X* A North Korean-made mobile surface-to-air missile system has appeared for the first time in the Ukraine conflict. While the official name of the air defense system remains unknown, it’s among the latest examples of Pyongyang’s [military assistance for Moscow’s war](). Ironically, however, its presence in the fighting was disclosed by a video shared by Russian military bloggers, showing it being attacked by a Russian drone, in an apparent ‘blue on blue’ friendly fire mishap. https://www.twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1878548602940801323 The video in question seems to have first been [published on Telegram]() by the Russian channel *Povernutye na Voynie*, which described the footage as showing a Russian drone strike on “a Western-supplied air defense radar system” in Ukrainian service. The system was claimed to be destroyed and, while this cannot be confirmed, a large pall of smoke can be seen rising after the engagement. ![]() *The original post [published on Telegram]() by the Russian channel *Povernutye na Voynie*.* The [same source]() claims that the incident took place in the Kursk region of Western Russia, where a Ukrainian campaign has been [underway since last August]() and where Kyiv [launched a new offensive]() just last week. However, analysis of the available imagery indicates the target is in fact the same type of North Korean mobile surface-to-air missile system that first appeared in a major military parade in Pyongyang in October 2020, as you can read about [here](). ![]() *The as-yet-unnamed North Korean mobile surface-to-air missile system on parade in Pyongyang in October 2020. *North Korean state media** ![]() *Another view of the North Korean mobile surface-to-air missile system. *North Korean state media** The North Korean system is thought to be broadly analogous to the Russian Tor (SA-15 Gauntlet) low-to medium-altitude, short-range air defense system (SHORADS), a piece of equipment that is in [widespread Russian service](), with [much smaller numbers in Ukrainian use](). ![]() *A Ukrainian Armed Forces 9K330 Tor seen before the full-scale invasion that began in 2022. *VoidWanderer/Wikimedia Commons** In terms of appearance, the North Korean system has some similarities with the wheeled [Tor-M2K]() version developed in Belarus by the MZKT company, although the North Korean vehicle has five axles, rather than three. In the North Korean system, the missile module, complete with radar, is carried in the center of a semi-trailer. ![]() *A Belarusian wheeled Tor-M2K short-range air defense system. *Belatom** Ukraine only employs the tracked 9K330 version of the Tor, in very small numbers. So far, Russian units in the Ukraine war have also only been noted using tracked versions of the Tor, including the improved 9K331 Tor-M1 and the 9K332 Tor-M2, and subvariants of these, all of which also are mounted on a tracked chassis. This suggests Russian drone operators who attacked the vehicle likely also assessed that it was a Western-supplied air defense radar system, based on its unfamiliarity, and perhaps were also unaware of the North Korea-made system being deployed in the area. Regardless, friendly fire incidents [are by no means uncommon]() in the war in Ukraine. ![]() *Imagery captured by a Russian drone shows the North Korean air defense system moments before it was targeted. *via X** Aside from the manner in which its presence was revealed, the appearance of the North Korean air defense system in the conflict is notable. First, it’s indicative of additional and more varied types of North Korean heavy weapons entering the fighting. There are several reasons why the system might have been used in the fighting in the Kursk region. It could be in Kursk for use by Pyongyang’s own forces, providing an organic air defense capability that they otherwise badly lack. The Ukrainian Air Force has been known to be very active over the Kursk region, [including attacking ground targets]() with Western-provided standoff air-launched munitions. Given the [extensive employment of North Korean troops]() in the Kursk counteroffensive, the system appearing here is also [not entirely surprising](). https://www.twitter.com/theglobal202/status/1860014730938843526?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1860014730938843526%7Ctwgr%5Ed3575f8c6ca016268defc0d13f4c1870a3dc783b%7Ctwcon%5Es1\_c10&ref\_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fland%2Fnorth-korea-getting-new-air-defenses-in-return-for-supporting-russia-in-ukraine-official There is also the possibility that Russia is using the system to bolster its own air defense capabilities. If that were the case it would suggest that Moscow has a particular need for these types of weapons, reflecting the fact that it has taken heavy losses in terms of this type of equipment and is struggling to make good attrition, or at least to replace equipment in a timely fashion. The ability of Russia to produce required quantities of [especially higher-end military equipment]() is something that has been repeatedly questioned since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amid the [strict sanctions that are now in place](). Since it’s a relatively new system, the North Korean SHORADS could possibly have been involved in some kind of combat evaluation, to test its capabilities and further improve it. Operational trials of this kind could also have been run in conjunction with Russia, with a view to potentially procure it for themselves. “There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian Army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a recent post on social media, which also pointed to the capture of North Korean troops by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Zelensky offered to hand over these soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. https://www.twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1878502443077509588 Aside from the [thousands of troops]() North Korea has now committed to the conflict, especially in the Kursk region, North Korea has already supplied Russia with [huge amounts of weaponry](), including badly needed artillery rounds and various kinds of other ammunition, amounting to millions of individual projectiles. Late last year, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), drawing upon intelligence provided by the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), listed North Korean weapons collected from the battlefield, including “122mm and 152mm shells, [Bulsae-4 anti-tank missiles](), short-range ballistic missiles such as the [KN-23](), and RPG anti-tank rockets.” Since then, *TWZ* [has also reported]() on the appearance of North Korean 170mm M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery pieces being deployed in the Ukraine war. Again, it’s not clear if these are being used exclusively by North Korean troops or whether they have been supplied to Russia. ![A photo has emerged showing examples of the North Korean-made self-propelled artillery system under transport in Russia, the clearest suggestion so far that Pyongyang is also now providing Moscow with these kinds of weapons for its war in Ukraine. That would hardly be a surprise at this point, with North Korea having supplied Russia with huge amounts of weaponry, as well as having committed to the deployment of thousands of troops for the conflict.]() *Examples of the North Korean-made M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery system under transport in Russia, last November. *via X** Russian ground-based air defense technologies are far in advance of those that North Korea has developed, with point defense, especially, being one of Pyongyang’s weakest military capability sets. As a whole, however, North Korea has made some important strides in ground-based air defenses in recent years, although the longer-range KN-06 surface-to-air missile system has been [the main focus of its efforts](). ![]() *North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a test launch of the KN-06 surface-to-air missile. *North Korean state media** At the same time, the burgeoning military relationship between the countries has led to reports of Russia providing North Korea with some of its own high-end, ground-based air defense systems, as you can read about [here](). Considering that, it might be surprising if Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with SHORADS from its own stocks, but it remains a possibility. Whatever the case, as long as this cooperation continues, the likelihood of North Korea benefiting from Russian weapons and expertise also increases. As well as suggestions that Pyongyang might receive [new Russian combat aircraft]() to overhaul its [seriously outdated air force](), and there have also been concerns that Moscow might provide it with technologies to help accelerate its [nuclear]() and [long-range ballistic missile]() programs. All told, however, the appearance of a previously unseen North Korean surface-to-air missile system in the conflict underscores the fact that North Korea is becoming ever more entrenched in the conflict. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()