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North Korea said Tuesday that the opening of its first road bridge with Russia marks a concrete step toward stronger bilateral ties, as the two countries expand military and economic cooperation amid the war in Ukraine.
The bridge crosses the Tumen River along the narrow North Korea-Russia border and adds a road connection to existing rail and air links between the neighboring countries.
Russia said the bridge was designed to accommodate expected growth in freight and passenger traffic.
A ceremony marking the bridge’s opening was held Monday.
“The completion of the bridge is a significant event adding a new dynamic movement to the overall bilateral cooperation,” North Korean official Pak Thae Song said, according to state-run KCNA.
Video released by the Russian government showed trucks from both countries crossing the bridge as crowds along the road applauded.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin joined the ceremony by video link.
“The launch of the first automobile route will further strengthen the connection between our friendly countries,” Mishustin said.
KCNA said the new crossing would provide “safe passage of various forms of transport and the movement of people” and had strengthened an important piece of infrastructure for economic cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened significantly since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.
North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia in 2024 to help repel a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, while Kyiv has accused Moscow of using North Korean missiles in attacks on Ukraine.
Russia and North Korea also signed a defense treaty in 2024 providing for mutual assistance if either country is attacked.
Russian tourism to North Korea has increased in recent years, although Pyongyang sometimes closes its border with little notice.
North Korea tightly restricts most citizens from leaving the country and closely monitors incoming travelers.
South Korea’s central bank estimated in July that North Korea’s economy grew by more than 3% for a third consecutive year in 2025, citing expanded economic cooperation with Russia as a “major drive.”
A bank official also said North Korea’s gross national income “received a boost from a sharp rise in foreign currency earnings” linked to the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.
Ukrainian rights group Truth Hounds previously warned that the bridge could become “a direct artery for moving North Korean troops, construction brigades and military officials into Russia, with Russian technology and resources flowing in the opposite direction.”
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