Russia, North Korea start building road bridge to connect two countries

Russian news agencies RIA Novosti and Interfax reported the information.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the bridge construction marks "a landmark stage for relations between the two countries and symbolizes the desire of Moscow and Pyongyang to strengthen friendly ties and boost interregional cooperation."

Right now, the only links between Russia and North Korea are a railway bridge and limited air traffic. The new road bridge will increase freight transport and help develop passenger travel.

The total length of the bridge project, including access roads, is 4.7 kilometers. The bridge itself will be one kilometer long — 424 meters on the Russian side and 581 meters on the Korean side. The bridge will be 7 meters wide with two lanes.

A car checkpoint will be set up near the bridge.

"This is a truly landmark stage for Russian-Korean relations. Its importance goes far beyond a basic engineering project. It shows our shared intention to build stronger, friendly, neighborly ties and deepen interregional cooperation," Mishustin said.

• Earlier, North Korea officially confirmed that units of its armed forces had taken part in the "operation to liberate the Kursk region" under orders from the country’s leader. Later, Russian leader Vladimir Putin thanked his North Korean counterpart for the support.