Russia, North Korea open first road link across shared border

Russia and North Korea opened the first road bridge across their shared border on Monday (September 8, 2026), a development Russian officials hailed as boosting the nations' deepening ties.

The bridge over the Tumen River is 1 kilometre (0.6 mile) long and has two lanes and will allow up to 300 vehicles a day to pass through a newly built border crossing point, the Russian government said in a statement.

“I am convinced that the expansion of transport infrastructure near the border will give a powerful boost to the further development of trade, economic, technological, scientific and cultural cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who took part in the opening ceremony via video link.