Russia and North Korea have opened their first road bridge, connecting the two countries across the Tumen River. The nearly one-kilometer-long bridge has been presented as a symbol of the two countries’ growing strategic relationship, Reuters reported.

The bridge was officially opened on Monday. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Prime Minister Pak Thae Song addressed the ceremony via video link. On the first day, several trucks decorated with the two countries’ flags crossed the bridge.

According to Russian government data, the bridge can accommodate up to 300 vehicles a day. It is expected to facilitate the transportation of goods between the two countries. The bridge is scheduled to become fully operational by the end of this year, when passenger transport may also begin.

Construction of the bridge began in April last year, following discussions and an agreement on the project during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in 2024.

Russia and North Korea already have direct air and rail connections. However, until now, they had no permanent direct road link. Vehicles had been allowed to cross under special arrangements via a railway bridge built in 1959.

The new bridge will be connected to Russia’s federal road network and will also link to a transportation corridor stretching from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg.

Russian Prime Minister Mishustin said the expansion of cross-border transport infrastructure would play an important role in strengthening trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation between the two countries. He described Russia-North Korea relations as being at an unprecedented level and called the bridge a “new symbol of friendship.”

The new bridge has been built near the old “Friendship Bridge,” which opened in 1959. It has been named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army soldier who, according to North Korean accounts, saved the life of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung in 1946 by shielding him from a grenade.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have grown significantly closer since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to assist Russian forces in fighting Ukrainian troops.

Mishustin also referred to that cooperation during the bridge-opening ceremony, praising the “Korean heroes” who recently fought alongside Russian forces to defend Russian territory.

According to Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in South Korea, the new bridge raises questions about the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on North Korea. He said North Korea is seeking to maximize its interests, while Russia gains a direct road route for transporting military equipment, ammunition and personnel as the Ukraine war continues.