North Korea and Russia have opened their first road bridge, further strengthening ties between the two countries as they deepen their strategic partnership.
The bridge, named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army soldier, spans the Tumen River and connects the two countries. Pyongyang credits Novichenko with protecting the life of North Korea's first leader Kim Il Sung in 1946 by intercepting a grenade thrown at him and others.
Construction began in April 2025 following an agreement reached in 2024 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea. The two countries already have direct air and rail links, but no road connection until now.
It was officially opened on Monday (7 September). The first flag-adorned trucks trundled across the 1 km (0.6 mile) long two-lane bridge as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korea's Premier Pak Thae Song tuned in by video link to address workers and government officials from both countries.
Mishustin said the bridge would initially accommodate up to 300 vehicles a day and connect to Russia’s federal road network, providing access to the transport corridor linking the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok with St. Petersburg.
“I am convinced that the expansion of cross-border transport infrastructure will provide a powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation,” said Mishustin, who said ties between Moscow and Pyongyang were “at an unprecedented high level” and called the opening of the bridge “a genuinely historic event.”
He said that the construction of the bridge was not merely an engineering project, but “a new symbol of friendship”.
Trucks will begin using the bridge immediately to transport cargo, the Russian government said. It is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year, when it will also be open to passenger traffic.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has since sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region.
The new bridge highlights how economic sanctions against North Korea are becoming increasingly ineffective, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in South Korea.
“While North Korea is trying to maximise its own interests, Russia has secured a direct road route for the transport of military supplies, ammunition and manpower, including troops, for its prolonged war in Ukraine,” he added.
At least seven people have been killed and more than 125 injured after two passenger trains collided in Egypt’s Giza province, south of Cairo...
A 24-year-old man who killed six people in Poland’s central city of Krakow had advanced military-style shooting skills, according to a s...
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass sh...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
At least seven people have been killed and more than 125 injured after two passenger trains collided in Egypt’s Giza province, south of Cairo, on Sunday.
A 24-year-old man who killed six people in Poland’s central city of Krakow had advanced military-style shooting skills, according to a spokesperson for the gun club he attended.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Clashes between protesters and police erupted in Paris and Marseille on Saturday as demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public services continued for a fourth consecutive weekend across France.
Security measures have been stepped up in Antalya, Türkiye, ahead of the COP31 United Nations climate summit, which begins on Monday, 9 November, with thousands of additional personnel deployed across the Mediterranean city.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment