North Korean troops bolster Russian forces with advanced optics
Ukrainian special unit operators showcase trophies captured from North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. What’s surprising is the presence of the AK-12 rifle and the 1PN139-1 thermal sight. We present the performance of this compelling combination.
It is estimated that about 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, which, at the current rate of losses, means that the North Korean forces may be depleted by mid-April. Despite their simple tactics, they still pose a significant threat due to strong motivation.
Elite units have arrived in Ukraine, equipped with the latest gear from North Korea and advanced weapons from Russia, including AK-12 rifles. This is the second instance of Ukrainians capturing this weapon from North Korean soldiers but the first to feature a rifle with a 1P87 collimator sight and the presence of the 1PN139-1 thermal sight. This equipment, combined with almost fanatical motivation and good shooting training of the North Korean soldiers, is much more dangerous than it seems.
Advanced optoelectronics — gadgets that make a difference
In recent years, optical and optoelectronic sights have become so affordable that they are popular in many of the world's armed forces and are the norm in elite units.
The basics include collimator or holographic sights, which, although they do not provide magnification, significantly speed up the aiming process and do not limit the field of view compared to traditional mechanical sights. Furthermore, they are easier to learn to shoot with because there’s no need to align anything, just a dot or another aiming mark.
1P87 collimator sights produced by Jupiter Plant JSC were first noticed in Russia in 2016 and are still not widely available. Meanwhile, the third-generation 1PN139-1 thermal sight is a rare novelty developed under the RATNIK program. According to Ukrainians assessing captured equipment, they can detect a person at a distance of about 1 kilometre.
AK-12 rifle — a modernization failure of Kalashnikov
The AK-12 entered service in the Russian armed forces in 2018 as an upgrade of the older AK-74M version, intended to meet modern military needs. It introduced new sights, a top mounting rail, and polymer handguards with rail segments for mounting additional accessories like optical sights, flashlights, or laser sights.
Additionally, the AK-12 received a new folding stock with adjustable length. The flash suppressor, which also functions as a compensator, became compatible with a sound suppressor, and the fire selector was expanded with a two-round burst mode.
Many soldiers criticized the AK-12, leading to a revision labelled AK-12M1, introduced in 2023. The most significant change was the addition of a new safety selector lever and the removal of the two-round burst mode.
Furthermore, the Russians modified the dust cover mount to ensure that optical sights mounted there would be more stable and wouldn’t require re-zeroing after each weapon assembly. The weapon was also equipped with a new folding stock with an adjustable cheek pad. It is not a revolution; it is still essentially an AK-74M enriched with polymer additions and slightly heavier.
