Russia and North Korea are nearing the completion of their first road bridge, a development that has raised significant concerns about its potential role in bolstering military cooperation for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The new crossing, which will be the first road link ever built between the two nations, spans the Tumen River, connecting Khasan in Russia’s far east with Tumangang in North Korea.
While North Korea finished its part of the project, including customs and quarantine facilities, ahead of a planned opening on June 19, Russia has fallen behind on its side of the border, and a new opening date has not yet been confirmed. This remote, thinly populated borderland stretch marks the final few miles of the frontier before it reaches the coast.
Both Russian and North Korean authorities have publicly stated the bridge's purpose is to expand trade and tourism. Andrey Nikitin, Russia’s transport minister, emphasized that “The opening of the new road bridge will increase mutual trade, optimise logistics, strengthen cultural ties, and transform border areas into dynamically developing economic hubs.” North Korea’s state media news agency, KCNA, similarly presented the bridge as a means to boost “travel of persons, tourism and circulation of commodities.”
Myhun explained that the road network of both countries is far more extensive than their rail network, making comprehensive surveillance more challenging. Furthermore, trucks can be loaded and unloaded much more quickly than railcars, which are exposed to satellite passes for longer periods. “Trucks, by contrast, almost always look the same in satellite imagery,” he noted, adding that road cargo can be loaded anywhere, unlike trains that rely on fixed rail hubs.
Truth Hounds also argues that the bridge’s economic rationale is weak. The crossing is estimated to have cost over $100 million, yet bilateral trade between the two countries was reportedly only $34 million in 2024. Tourism from Russia to North Korea remains tightly controlled, largely limited to escorted tours, with approximately 10,000 Russian visitors recorded in 2025. Pyongyang, the main destination for foreign tourists, is over 500km from the crossing.
Instead, the investigation concludes that the bridge is better understood as strategic infrastructure designed to facilitate the movement of North Korean troops, construction brigades, and military officials into Russia, and for Russian technology and resources to move in the opposite direction. Myhun stated that Truth Hounds closely monitors Russia-North Korea cooperation, considering it “one of the key factors affecting Russia’s strength in this war” on Ukraine. He added that this deepening relationship makes the two-way exchange of weapons and technology “easier and less transparent,” posing a threat to North Korea’s neighbors.
The bridge itself is approximately 1km long and seven meters wide, featuring two lanes. It forms part of a wider 4.7km crossing that includes approach roads. Satellite imagery also reveals supporting infrastructure, such as a helicopter landing pad, being built on the Russian side. This new road crossing runs parallel to the existing Friendship Bridge, which currently serves as the sole rail link between the two nations.
The construction of this bridge commenced after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact in June 2024, solidifying military ties. Since then, North Korea has provided troops, artillery ammunition, and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. This bridge represents a small component of a much broader military relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang.
More than 14,000 North Korean troops have reportedly fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region following a Ukrainian counter-invasion in August 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers. The expanded cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang includes weapons, military technology, and reconstruction efforts.
In 2023, Reuters reported that satellite images indicated an estimated 2,000 containers were exported from the North Korean port of Rason to Russia, believed to contain artillery shells and potentially short-range missiles. Kim Jong-un has publicly praised North Korean soldiers who fought and died for Russia and has unveiled housing for the families of those killed. At least 2,000 North Korean servicemen are believed to have died fighting in Russia’s war, with two badly wounded soldiers taken prisoner.
The Kremlin has been contacted regarding the claims made in the Truth Hounds investigation but has not yet provided a response.
