Russia and North Korea are close to completing a bridge that will form the first road link ever built between them, amid concerns the two increasingly close allies are creating infrastructure to boost military cooperation in the Ukraine war, The Guardian reported on Monday.
The bridge spans the Tumen River between Khasan in Russia’s far east and Tumangang in North Korea, a remote stretch of borderland where the river marks the final miles of the frontier before reaching the coast.
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The bridge is about 1 km (0.6 miles) long and 7 meters (23 feet) wide, with two lanes, part of a wider 4.7 km (2.9 miles) crossing that includes approach roads.
Satellite imagery shows supporting infrastructure being built on the Russian side, including a helicopter landing pad.
North Korea finished its side of the project, including customs and quarantine facilities, ahead of a planned opening on June 19, but Russia has fallen behind on its own side of the border, and no new opening date has been confirmed.
Investigation argues bridge is military corridor
A new investigation by Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds, shared with The Guardian, suggests the bridge is intended to provide a discreet military logistics corridor rather than boost trade.
Nazar Myhun, who led the open-source research at Truth Hounds, said a key reason behind its conclusion was that it is much easier to evade satellite monitoring by using roads compared with rail networks.
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“The type of railcar visible in an image reveals a great deal about the cargo, and certain categories of goods are transported in open railcars, which allows them to be identified,” Myhun told The Guardian.
“Trucks, by contrast, almost always look the same in satellite imagery.”
Road cargo can also be loaded anywhere, as opposed to trains, which rely on a handful of fixed rail hubs, Myhun added.
Economic rationale called into question
Russian officials have presented the project as a way to expand trade and tourism.
Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin said the bridge would “increase mutual trade, optimise logistics, strengthen cultural ties, and transform border areas into dynamically developing economic hubs.”
Similarly, North Korea’s state media agency KCNA has cast the bridge as a way to boost “travel of persons, tourism, and circulation of commodities” between the two countries.
However, Truth Hounds argues the bridge’s economic rationale is weak.
The crossing is estimated to have cost more than $100 million, versus bilateral trade reportedly worth just $34 million in 2024. Tourism from Russia into North Korea remains tightly controlled, with around 10,000 Russian visitors in 2025.
Military alliance
Construction began after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact in June 2024, cementing military ties that have since seen North Korea provide troops, artillery ammunition, and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
More than 14,000 North Korean troops have fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region after Ukraine staged a surprise counter-invasion in August 2024. At least 2,000 North Korean servicemen are believed to have died fighting in Russia’s war, with two badly wounded soldiers taken prisoner.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is preparing to receive a further 30,000 soldiers from North Korea.
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