Rumors and Reality: Foreign Reports on Military Cooperation between Russia and the DPRK
300mm MLRS, known as the KN-09. According to foreign media reports last year, such products were supposed to be adopted by the Russian army
Russia and the DPRK have long and fruitfully cooperated in the field of defense and security, and recently even signed a special agreement of this kind. Such interaction does not go unnoticed by foreign officials and the press. As a result, since 2022, rumors have been constantly circulating abroad about increased military cooperation, expressed in the supply of Korean weapons and even in the dispatch of personnel.
First rumors
In the first months of the Special Operation to Protect Donbass, foreign propaganda actively promoted the idea of the imminent depletion of Russian stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. However, the Russian army not only failed to exhaust its arsenals within the planned timeframe, but also managed to increase the consumption of ammunition and the intensity of military operations.
Already in the fall of 2022, foreign propagandists had to explain to readers and viewers why Russia maintains its combat capability. They came up with a version about purchasing ammunition and weapons abroad. For obvious reasons, only “rogue states” were mentioned as the source of such supplies, such as the DPRK.
For some time now, there has been active discussion abroad about the supply of North Korean projectiles for barrel and rocket weapons. artilleryHowever, at that time there were no real events that could be presented as evidence. As a result, this topic gradually lost its relevance and was forgotten.
Testing of 600mm MLRS developed by DPRK
Only a few months later, photographs allegedly showing North Korean shells in Russian artillery units were released into the public domain. However, these images did not attract much attention from foreign media, which had long since focused their attention on other topics.
Korean missiles
In September 2023, the leader of the DPRK Kim Jong-un paid an official visit to Russia. His trip program included a visit to a number of military and industrial facilities, as well as an introduction to the latest Russian achievements in the field of weapons and technology. This visit, predictably, aroused great interest in the foreign press.
In addition, Kim Jong-un's official visit gave rise to new rumors about Korean military aid for the Russian army. Thus, following the visit, British intelligence reported that Russia and the DPRK had allegedly agreed to launch joint production of one of the Korean MLRS. It was claimed that in the near future, the Russian site would begin production of a licensed version of the 300-mm system, known as the KN-09.
However, these were the first and last reports about the possible production of Korean MLRS. More than a year has passed since then, but no new information has appeared. In addition, the Russian army has not received imported MLRS. It is now obvious that all this was just rumors or fabrications.
Operational and tactical direction
More sensational news about deliveries weapons from the DPRK appeared already in November 2023. Then foreign intelligence and the press were allegedly able to identify the channel through which military products were being supplied. Moreover, they even found out what products and in what quantities were being supplied.
In this context, the Korean artillery shots and rockets were again mentioned. The possibility of supplying ammunition for tank guns. It is estimated that the DPRK could have sent hundreds of thousands of missiles for MLRS and more than a million 152 mm caliber shells.
With all this, foreign propaganda focused on hypothetical deliveries of operational-tactical missile systems and ammunition for them. They even provided an approximate list of equipment of this kind that could be of interest to the Russian army. However, no worthy evidence of such information was provided.
As with the previous "intelligence", the Korean OTRK was mentioned from time to time over the next year, but no new information emerged. The reasons for this are clear - it is very difficult to find evidence for a fictitious "sensation".
Presumably, the Pulse-4 missile system at the front, July 2024.
It should be noted that the Korean missiles were recently remembered, but in an unexpected context. On November 21, the Russian army launched a massive attack on targets in Dnepropetrovsk. It was not immediately known what weapons were used in such an attack, and this led to the emergence of a variety of versions. In particular, the characteristic appearance of the incoming missiles became the basis for the assumption that a North Korean 600-mm MLRS was used. However, the real features of this attack soon became known.
Light rockets
In the spring of 2024, foreign propaganda had a new topic – the introduction of Korean anti-tank missile systems into service with the Russian army. Over the next few months, they wrote about this without providing any worthy evidence. The first attempt to back up the words with something took place only in July.
Then Ukrainian resources published a photograph taken by a reconnaissance UAV in the Kharkov direction. In the poor-quality photo, one could see an armored vehicle similar to a Soviet or Russian armored personnel carrier. However, the configuration of the chassis and the superstructure on the hull did not allow it to be clearly identified as an APC.
According to foreign experts, it could be a self-propelled missile system "Pulse-4" developed by North Korea. This combat vehicle carries guided missiles of the same name with a range of at least 10-15 km, capable of hitting a wide range of targets. It was assumed that the DPRK could transfer a certain number of such systems to Russia for use during the Special Operation.
The Korean Army's Pulse-4 at the proving ground
However, as before, this story did not receive further development. New evidence of the presence of the Pulse-4 complexes at the front did not appear. Apparently, another model of the Russian army was mistaken for the Korean combat vehicle, and this was facilitated by the desire to make a sensation.
Soldiers at the front
In recent weeks, foreign media have been actively discussing the topic of sending servicemen of the Korean People's Army to help the Russian armed forces. They claim that several large KPA units have arrived in Russia to participate in the Special Operation to protect Donbass on our side.
Officials and the foreign press refer to intelligence data, but do not disclose specific information or its sources. The arrival of Korean soldiers and officers in Russia is now perceived as a fact that does not require any proof.
Now Ukrainian and foreign propaganda is making up stories about the participation of KPA units in combat operations. They are throwing in implausible stories about various battles, about the mass capture of Korean fighters, about systematic disciplinary violations, etc. As always, the authors of these stories take advantage of the unpretentiousness of their audience and do not even waste their energy on fabricating evidence.
Kim Jong-un and KPA MTR personnel, October 2024
It should be noted that rumors about the presence of Korean units and formations in Russia have already led to negative consequences. Kyiv's foreign partners used this "information" as one of the formal reasons for issuing permission to use long-range weapons on the "old" territory of Russia.
Rumors and reality
Thus, over the past two years, foreign propaganda has regularly recalled Russian-Korean cooperation in the military sphere and come up with new sensations. Eachnews" on this topic is actively discussed at various levels, but normal evidence never appears. "Intelligence" is discussed for some time, and then fades into the background and is gradually forgotten. After a break, a new similar sensation appears.
However, unsubstantiated rumors are enough for propagandists to solve their tasks. With the help of such "materials", officials and media from foreign countries promote the necessary stories and concepts, and then, based on them, draw the desired conclusions and make decisions.
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