The first bridge connecting Russia and North Korea has opened across the Tumen River, allowing for easier movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, but Ukraine has warned that it is being built as a corridor for military purposes, writes the BBC.
North Korean state media has announced that the bridge will be used for personnel exchanges, tourism and trade. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds has indicated that the bridge is intended primarily for the creation of a secret military logistics corridor.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have become closer since the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, and Russian dictator Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have previously spoken of their determination to help each other if either country is attacked by military aggression.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin described the bridge as a new symbol of friendship, while North Korean Prime Minister Pak Thae Song said the opening of the bridge was a historic event. Russian state media
TASS reported that up to 300 vehicles and 2,323 people can cross the bridge each day.
The BBC reported in May that satellite images showed the kilometre-long bridge with several new access roads, a border checkpoint, surrounding infrastructure and parking lots.
There are air links between Russia and North Korea, as well as a railway, but the only land route until now has been planks placed on the railway tracks, allowing cars to cross. Reuters reported that the Russian government had planned to use the bridge for freight transport only for now, with passenger traffic to be opened later.
Mishustin said the bridge would allow for further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation. The most immediate impact is likely to be increased arms exports from North Korea to Russia. Researchers at South Korea’s spy agency estimate that North Korea has already shipped 7 billion to 14 billion dollars worth of missiles and artillery shells to Russia by sea. It is believed that around 11,000 North Koreans are currently actively fighting in Ukraine.
Truth Hounds recently reported that, under a cooperation agreement signed in 2024,
the bridge could be used to transport North Korean soldiers, construction workers and high-ranking military personnel
to Russia, while Russia would be able to more quickly transport technology and resources to North Korea.
Construction of the bridge began in 2025 and took 495 days to complete.
Since it was authorized in 2024, Russian tourists have been flocking to North Korea. They are welcomed in the capital Pyongyang and the beach resorts of Wonsan-Kalma, while tourists from other countries are not allowed to visit the communist country.
The bridge will allow for the expansion of the flow of North Korean workers into Russia. South Korea estimates that around 10,000 North Koreans work on Russian construction sites and in logging. Although the UN prohibits countries from using North Korean labor, many North Koreans come to Russia on student visas.
Read also: Russian mobilisation and sabotage – NAF commander explains what Latvia is preparing for
The post Bridge between Russia and North Korea opens appeared first on Baltic News Network.
