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Russia and North Korea on Monday inaugurated their first road bridge across the Tumen River, adding a highway connection to the existing rail and air links between the two countries as Moscow and Pyongyang continue expanding political, economic and military cooperation.
The bridge connects Russia's Primorsky Krai with North Korea's Rason Special Economic Zone and is expected to become a key transport corridor for bilateral trade and cross-border travel. Construction began in April 2025 following an agreement reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in 2024.
Russian authorities said the bridge was designed to accommodate rising transport demand between the two countries. Once fully operational, it will be capable of handling up to 300 vehicles, around 2,850 passengers and about one million tonnes of cargo annually. The structure stretches roughly 850 metres, with sections located on both the Russian and North Korean sides of the border.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his North Korean counterpart Pak Thae-song attended the opening ceremony via video link, describing the project as a milestone that would strengthen economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
The new bridge was named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army officer credited with saving North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung during a grenade attack at a rally in Pyongyang on 1 March 1946.
Novichenko threw himself onto the grenade, losing his right hand and one eye in the explosion. According to historical accounts, a thick book he was carrying helped shield him from the full impact of the blast. His daughter Tatyana Shcherbitskaya and grandson Nikolai Shcherbitsky attended the inauguration ceremony.
The bridge opens as Russia and North Korea continue to deepen ties following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Since 2024, the two countries have expanded military and economic cooperation, including the signing of a mutual defence treaty committing each side to assist the other in the event of an armed attack.
Western governments have also accused North Korea of supplying troops and weapons to support Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, allegations that Moscow and Pyongyang have rejected. The new transport link is widely seen as another sign of the increasingly close strategic partnership between the two neighbours.(ILKHA)
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