Russia and North Korea inaugurate first road bridge across shared border
Russia and North Korea opened their first road bridge across the Tumen River on Monday, fulfilling plans discussed during President Vladimir Putin's 2024 visit to Pyongyang. Named after Soviet officer Yakov Novichenko, the bridge will carry up to 300 vehicles daily and is intended to strengthen trade and cultural cooperation between the countries. The opening reflects the deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang, particularly following North Korea's military support for Russia in Ukraine.
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Russia and North Korea inaugurated their first road bridge across the Tumen River on Monday, expanding transport connections between the two countries. The structure, named the Yakov Novichenko Bridge in honour of a Soviet Red Army officer credited with saving North Korean founder Kim Il Sung's life, stands near the existing Friendship Bridge, a railway crossing that has operated since 1959.
Construction began in April 2025 following an agreement made during President Vladimir Putin's 2024 visit to North Korea. Previously, vehicles crossing the border had to rely on wooden planks placed on the railway bridge. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, speaking by video link at the opening ceremony, stated that the bridge would accommodate up to 300 vehicles daily and represent "a new symbol of friendship" that would increase trade, tourism and cultural exchange between the two states.
The bridge's opening coincides with a significant strengthening of Russia-North Korea relations since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to support Russian military operations in the Kursk region against a Ukrainian offensive.
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