North Korea’s recent delivery of 122mm caliber D-74 cannons to Russia highlights the logistical and strategic constraints of the war in Ukraine. This equipment, dating from the Soviet era, reveals Russian supply difficulties… and the losses of the Russian army in terms of artillery equipment.
Soviet D-74 guns resurface in Ukraine
The D-74 guns, developed in the 1940s and integrated into Soviet arsenals in 1955, were withdrawn from circulation in the USSR in the 1970s. Considered obsolete compared to modern systems such as the M-46, these parts were exported to allied countries such as North Korea, where they were retained and modernized.
The appearance of this equipment on the Ukrainian front reflects two possible options: a resumption of residual Russian stocks or a recent import. The compatibility of the projectiles used with North Korean standards supports the second hypothesis, confirming an expansion of military exchanges between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Russian artillery in difficulty
Russia, faced with massive destruction of its artillery by Ukrainian forces equipped with Western systems such as the French Caesars, is resorting to less sophisticated equipment to make up for its losses.
The D-74s, although outdated, retain a respectable range of 24 km and an effective rate of fire in specific conditions, notably in trench warfare. Combined with modern technologies such as drones for targeting, these systems can prolong their usefulness despite their obsolescence.
Industrial and economic implications
- Increased dependence on isolated partners: Russia is showing growing vulnerability by turning to North Korea, a country subject to tough international sanctions.
- War economy: The modernization of old systems is part of an economic strategy aimed at limiting production costs while increasing operational volume. The mobilization of less advanced technologies makes it possible to compensate for the erosion of Russian industrial capacities caused by the sanctions.
- Geopolitical signal: This collaboration between two nations largely isolated internationally sends a message of strategic union in the face of Western sanctions.
Consequences for the arms market
The reuse of old systems like the D-74 highlights a phenomenon of technological depreciation in the arms trade. This case could encourage some developing countries to invest in similar equipment due to their relatively low cost and adaptability.
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