Russia, North Korea Near 1km Road Bridge as $100 Million Project Fuels Ukraine War Supply Fears
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
Russia, North Korea Near 1km Road Bridge as $100 Million Project Fuels Ukraine War Supply Fears
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 27
Summary
The first road bridge ever built between Russia and North Korea is largely complete, but Russia has missed a planned 19 June opening after North Korea finished its side, including customs and quarantine facilities.
A Truth Hounds investigation argues the 1km, two-lane crossing is better suited to covert military logistics than trade, because trucks are harder to track by satellite and avoid the rail gauge limits on the existing Friendship Bridge.
The group says the economic case is thin: the bridge reportedly cost more than $100 million, while bilateral trade was worth just $34 million in 2024 and Russian tourism to North Korea totaled about 10,000 visitors in 2025.
The crossing follows a June 2024 Putin-Kim strategic pact that has already deepened wartime cooperation, with North Korea supplying troops, artillery ammunition and missiles for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
That broader alliance now extends beyond transport links: more than 14,000 North Korean troops have fought in Russia’s Kursk region, and Zelenskyy has warned Moscow may receive another 30,000.