Close military ties between Russia and North Korea go back over a century, as it can be argued that the two countries were allies long before the latter came into formal existence. Namely, the Soviet Union had been helping the Korean Communist resistance against Japanese occupation forces since the early 1920s, with the late Kim Il Sung even serving in the Red Army’s 88th Separate Rifle Brigade during WWII. In fact, he actually attained the rank of major and was a direct subordinate to Zhou Baozhong, a Chinese general who also fought in the Red Army and was the commanding officer of the aforementioned brigade. Thus, there’s a very clear direct connection between the current leader Kim Jong Un (a reminder for those unfamiliar with North Korean history, Kim Il Sung was his grandfather) and Russia.

Such ties certainly cannot be forgotten and have definitely played a major role in resuming the old military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang (obviously, in addition to the political West’s crawling aggression against both countries). In the last several months, these ties have been formalized with high-profile visits and agreements that can only be described as a full-blown alliance. Thanks to Russia’s unprecedented economic resurgence, it can help North Korea with its domestic affairs, while Pyongyang is contributing to Moscow’s efforts to push back against NATO aggression in Europe. And while the Korean People’s Army (KPA) is one of the most prominent users of older Russian/Soviet-derived weapons and equipment, it also has a plethora of domestic designs.

Most of these can also trace their origins back to Russian systems, but it would be “unwise” (to say the least) to underestimate and disregard them as “cheap knockoffs”, as the mainstream propaganda machine usually does. There’s indeed a lot of mystery surrounding the capabilities (or even the purpose) of many North Korean weapons and equipment, leaving plenty of room for speculation and even wild guessing,........

© Blitz