Satellite images reviewed by the BBC confirm that the first direct connecting highway between Moscow and Pyongyang will be operational in the coming weeks. That is to say, there will soon be a bridge that connects Russia and North Korea by road, materializing an alliance that is reconfiguring the conflict in Ukraine.
What is happening. The Khasan-Tumangang Bridge, which crosses the Tumen River on the border between Russia and North Korea, is nearing completion. The satellite images that share The middle shows the structure already united in its central section, along with new access roads, a border control post, support infrastructure and parking areas. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang confirms that the planned opening date is June 19.
First time in history. Until now, the only physical link between both countries was the so-called Friendship Bridge, a Soviet-era railway crossing inaugurated in 1959, and whose use for road vehicles was limited. The new bridge is, therefore, the first road link in history between Russia and North Korea. It measures approximately one kilometer in length, has two lanes and is built on concrete pillars with metal openings. It also runs parallel to the old railway bridge.
Numbers. According to share In the middle, the crossing has been designed to support up to 300 vehicles and nearly 3,000 people a day. Its total cost exceeds 9 billion rubles, according to Russian state media, which is equivalent to about $120 million. Construction has been rapid, taking about a year, a pace that analysts consider strikingly fast. “The speed of construction reflects the volume of commercial activity between both parties,” said Victor Cha, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Where does this project come from? The agreement to build the bridge was reached during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, when the Russian president met with Kim Jong Un. At that same meeting, both countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that includes a mutual defense clause: if one of the two is attacked, the other is obliged to respond. The bridge, therefore, was born under the protection of that pact and has been built in record time.
More than concrete. It is inevitably necessary to analyze its geopolitical context. According to data from South Korea, Pyongyang has sent around 15,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, in addition to long-range missiles and weapons. Seoul also estimates that some 2,000 North Korean soldiers have died in that conflict, although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have confirmed these figures.
In return, North Korea is believed to have received food, fuel and military technology from Russia. “This is an alliance largely driven by North Korean supply of troops, weapons, ammunition and manpower for Putin’s war in Ukraine,” explained Cha about it.
What exactly will it be used for? Once open, the bridge will connect the Russian settlement of Khasan with the North Korean town of Tumangang and link directly to the Russian road network, reducing the distance between Vladivostok and the border town of Rason to 320 kilometers. Of course, Russian and North Korean drivers will be prohibited from driving their vehicles into the territory of the other country. In this way, the exchange of goods would take place at the border post itself, transferring the load from one truck to another.
“This bridge will offer a very useful route to transfer military material and ammunition, both to North Korea and Russia,” counted Dr. Edward Howell, an expert on Korea at the University of Oxford, spoke to the media.
The other side of the coin. Russian Foreign Ministry has described the opening of the bridge as “a truly historic stage in Russian-Korean relations” whose “significance goes far beyond a purely engineering task.” Moscow presents it as a symbol of cooperation in trade, economy and humanitarian relations. But for Western analysts, the reading is very different: a logistical artery designed to sustain a military alliance that transcends the war in Ukraine.
“The construction of the bridge exemplifies how North Korea’s ties with Russia aim to continue beyond any end to the conflict in Ukraine,” pointed out Howell.
China. It is not just Russia that is seeking to strengthen its physical connection with North Korea. China resumed last month the first passenger train service with Pyongyang after six years of interruption. North Korea, which for decades has been one of the most isolated corners of the planet, is being progressively integrated into the infrastructure networks of its two great allies. “It is fair to say that this connection, before the war in Ukraine, was one of the most dormant links between North Korea and its two neighbors,” Cha acknowledged. It seems that that lethargy has been left behind.
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