Russia and North Korea are nearing the completion of their first-ever road bridge, which spans the Tumen River between Khasan in Russia's far east and Tumangang in North Korea. The project is raising concerns that the infrastructure will boost military cooperation between the two allies in the Ukraine war.
North Korea finished its part of the project, including customs and quarantine facilities, in advance of a planned opening on 19 June. However, Russia has not yet completed its side of the border, and a new opening date has not been confirmed.
While Russian and North Korean authorities state the bridge is for expanding trade and tourism, a new investigation by the Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds suggests it is primarily intended to provide a discreet military logistics corridor. Truth Hounds argues that road networks are harder to monitor via satellite than rail links, making it easier to evade surveillance.
The investigation also highlights a weak economic rationale for the bridge, which reportedly cost over $100m, compared to bilateral trade worth $34m in 2024. Instead, Truth Hounds concludes the crossing is strategic infrastructure for moving North Korean troops, construction brigades, and military officials into Russia, and for Russian technology and resources to move in the opposite direction.
This new crossing runs alongside the existing Friendship Bridge, the only rail link between the two countries. The road bridge avoids the issue of differing rail gauges that affects the rail line.