logo
Russia, North Korea building bridge to create ‘road of friendship'

Russia, North Korea building bridge to create ‘road of friendship'

Yahoo01-05-2025

Russia and North Korea have described the building of a bridge connecting the two countries as a "significant occasion," strengthening their "friendly relations," Korean state media KCNA reported on May 1.
The 4.7-kilometer (3 miles) road bridge will span the Tumen River and cross the border between Russia and North Korea. The bridge is expected to be completed in 18 months time, with a border checkpoint nearby to facilitate crossings.
"The construction of the motor bridge serves as a significant occasion in adding fresh dynamics to the development of the friendly relations between the two countries," KCNA said.
North Korea has been one of Russia's staunchest supporters since the full-scale war in Ukraine began. Their economic and military cooperation has only deepened and the two countries ratified a mutual defense treaty in November.
The ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the bridge, which took place on April 30 in Khasan and Rason, Russian and North Korean borderland cities, was attended by high-ranking officials from Pyongyang and Moscow.
During the ceremony, Russian Vice Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev highlighted the bridge as another "road of friendship" between the two nations, Russian state media TASS reported on April 30.
"Today, our relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are growing stronger. This bridge will be another road of friendship," Trutnev said.
Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also attended the groundbreaking ceremony, calling the project a key step in strengthening relations between the two countries.
Currently, the only link between Russia and North Korea is a railway bridge, and pyair services.
North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Moscow's forces against Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast since December 2024, after Kyiv launched an incursion into the region in August of the same year.
Moscow and Pyongyang officially acknowledged the deployment previously this week, as Ukrainian troops were reportedly forced out of most of the oblast, though Kyiv has said some fighting is still ongoing.
Pyongyang has deployed some 14,000 troops to Russia, mostly consisting of its special operations unit — the figure includes 3,000 that North Korea sent this year to replenish the casualties taken on the battlefield, the New York Times reported on April 27, citing South Korean officials.
Read also: Kremlin says Russia ready for mass mobilization like in WWII 'at any moment'
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia sends its most valuable planes as far away from Ukraine as possible
Russia sends its most valuable planes as far away from Ukraine as possible

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Russia sends its most valuable planes as far away from Ukraine as possible

Russia has scattered its most valuable warplanes to a remote airbase in the far east of the country, after a surprise Ukrainian drone attack devastated its strategic bomber fleet last Sunday. Two Tupolev Tu-160 planes have been moved 4,000 miles from the front lines to the remote Anadyr airbase, which can only be accessed by air and sea, satellite imagery showed. Located on the desolate Chukotka Peninsula, the airfield is around 410 miles from Alaska and was set up during the Cold War to defend Russia from potential US attacks. The supersonic Tu-160 bombers can carry nuclear weapons and are by far the most expensive in Russia's inventory, with a price tag of around $500 million per unit. By comparison, the B-52 Stratofortress, the mainstay of the US's bomber fleet, has an estimated value of roughly $94 million. In addition to being expensive, Tu-160s are rare. Russia is thought to have only 16 operational airframes, and Ukraine said it damaged some in last Sunday's attacks. Prof Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for air power at the Royal United Services Institute, told the i newspaper that imagery from the Anadyr base could suggest Moscow was trying to reduce the risk of more drone attacks. Dubbed 'Operation Spider's Web', the June 1 strikes were the result of 18 months of meticulous planning by Ukraine's security service (SBU), which on Wednesday released a video detailing how the strikes played out. Agents smuggled 'cheap drones' into Russia, 'right under the nose' of the Russian security agency, captions from the video read. These drones were placed inside modified wooden cabins mounted on the back of lorries, then driven to locations near their targets by drivers who were seemingly unaware of their cargo. Once near the airbases, the cabins released the drones to attack aircraft on the bases. 'Everything was planned down to the second,' the video explained. 'It happened simultaneously in three different time zones, involving 117 drones.' 'The SBU's web was to entangle all of Russia,' it said. The SBU planned to attack five airfields, although only four were hit, as drones exploded prematurely while en route to a base in Russia's far east. Admiral Pierre Vandier, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, lauded the operation, saying it was a reinvention of the 'Trojan horse method', with new 'technical and industrial creativity'. Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, on Wednesday said Moscow's nuclear deterrence 'has not suffered significant damage', and that the affected equipment 'can and will be restored'. Experts, however, said it would take years for Russia to recover from the assault, which Ukrainian officials estimated caused $7 billion worth of damage. Several Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers are believed to have been destroyed in the operation. Kyiv said last week that Russia had used a Tu-160 to launch a cruise strike against Ukraine. It claimed this indicated a shortage of Tu-95s and Tu-22s, as Moscow usually uses these older models for strikes rather than the more expensive and scarce Tu-160. Both the Tu-95 and Tu-22 are no longer produced. Russia does assemble new Tu-160s, however only two are thought to have been completed since 2022. Though the Tu-160 is a Soviet-era design, in 2018 the Russian ministry of defence ordered 10 new airframes at a cost of 160 billion roubles. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Trump is receptive to contacts with North Korean leader, White House says
Trump is receptive to contacts with North Korean leader, White House says

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump is receptive to contacts with North Korean leader, White House says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump would welcome communications with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after having had friendly relations with Kim during his first term, the White House said on Wednesday. "The president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong Un," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of what Trump called "beautiful" letters. In June 2019, Trump briefly stepped into North Korea from the demilitarized zone with South Korea. Little progress was made, however, at reining in North Korea's nuclear program, and Trump acknowledged in March that Pyongyang is a "nuclear power." The attempts at rapprochement come after the election in South Korea of a new president, Lee Jae-myung, who has pledged to reopen dialogue with North Korea. Analysts say, however, that engaging North Korea will likely be more difficult for both Lee and Trump than it was in the U.S. president's first term. Since then North Korea has significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry. Since Trump's first-term summitry with Kim Jong Un ended, North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks.

Zelenskyy: Russia aims to seize Odesa and reach borders with Moldova and Romania
Zelenskyy: Russia aims to seize Odesa and reach borders with Moldova and Romania

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Zelenskyy: Russia aims to seize Odesa and reach borders with Moldova and Romania

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia's military plans are aimed at capturing Odesa and then advancing to the borders with Moldova and Romania. Source: Zelenskyy's speech at the 4th Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine Quote: "And finally, again, we're here in our beautiful city, in Odesa. This beautiful city is a target for Russia. It wants to destroy it like it did countless cities and villages in occupied territories. Russian war plans point to this region – Odesa, and then toward the borders with Moldova and Romania. Of course, we need protection now. But even more, we need long-term guarantees that this can never happen again." Details: Zelenskyy urged summit participants to view post-war security guarantees as a practical necessity. Quote: "From air defence to cyber threats – we need real tools for deterrence and rapid response. Let's look at our agreements, armies and infrastructure – and strengthen everything that keeps our nations safe." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store