Russia and North Korea Almost Complete Construction of Strategic Bridge for Potential Military Supplies

Russia and North Korea are close to completing construction of a bridge that will serve as a potential logistics corridor for military supplies between the two countries.

This was reported by The Guardian in a joint investigation with the Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds.

Truth Hounds emphasizes that the project’s goal is to create a covert military logistics corridor for the movement of North Korean troops and the transport of Russian technology and resources in the opposite direction.

North Korea completed its part of the project, including constructions of the customs and quarantine facilities, ahead of the planned June 19 opening, but Russia is behind schedule with work on its side of the border, and a new opening date has not yet been confirmed.

The bridge spans the Tumangan River between the city of Khasan in Russia’s Far East and the city of Tumangan in North Korea.

The new crossing runs alongside the “Friendship Bridge” — the only rail link between the two countries.

Nazar Mikhun, the lead researcher at Truth Hounds, noted that it is much easier to evade satellite surveillance via roadways than via the rail.

“The type of railcar visible in the image reveals a lot about the cargo, and certain categories of goods are transported in open railcars, which makes it possible to identify them… In contrast, trucks in satellite images almost always look the same,” Mikhun told The Guardian.

The Russian and North Korean sides have presented this project as a means of expanding trade and tourism.

“The opening of the new road bridge will help increase mutual trade, optimize logistics, strengthen cultural ties, and transform border regions into dynamically developing economic centers,” said Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin.

However, Truth Hounds claim that the official explanation for the bridge’s construction is unfounded. According to estimates, the bridge’s construction cost over $100 million, while the volume of bilateral trade reportedly amounted to only $34 million in 2024, and in 2025, approximately 10,000 Russian tourists visited North Korea.

Construction of the bridge began after Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership treaty in June 2024, under which North Korea provides troops, artillery ammunition, and ballistic missiles to support Russia in the war against Ukraine.