Webdesk: The one kilometre, two lane bridge crosses the Tumen River and connects Russia’s Khasan area with North Korea’s Rason region. The crossing was inaugurated on Monday, September 7, with Russian Prime Minister (PM) Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song joining the ceremony by video link.
The bridge is designed to handle up to 300 vehicles a day. Trucks have already begun using the crossing for cargo, while passenger traffic is expected to be introduced later in 2026. Russian officials say the new route will support trade, tourism and wider economic, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The project was agreed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in 2024, while construction began in April 2025. The bridge is named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army officer who is credited in North Korea with saving the life of its founding leader, Kim Il Sung, in 1946.
The new crossing adds to an existing railway bridge and direct air links between the two countries. Its opening also comes as Moscow and Pyongyang have moved closer politically and militarily since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
North Korea has provided military support to Russia, including ammunition and troops, while the two countries have expanded cooperation in several areas.
The bridge is therefore more than a new road connection. While Russia presents it primarily as an economic and transport project, its opening gives the two countries another physical channel for the movement of goods and people at a time when their strategic partnership is becoming increasingly important.
