Signs detected of North Korea, Russia ramping up joint bridge construction

Satellite photos have detected signs of North Korea and Russia ramping up the construction of a joint motorway bridge linking the two countries across the Tumen River, Radio Free Asia said Wednesday.

The satellite photos taken by SI Analytics, a South Korean satellite imagery analysis platform, showed yellow construction materials and "probable bridge column location(s)" being installed across the frozen river. The pillars extended 300 meters from the Russian side of the border, RFA noted.

Construction materials were piled near the border as well, according to the photos provided by SI Analytics.

A recent report by SI Analytics noted that the construction process is likely to gain further momentum in spring, “considering the impending thawing of the Tumen River.”

Last month, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Moscow has tasked TonnelYuzhStroi, a Russian company, with designing and completing the construction of the bridge by the end of 2026. The bridge will reportedly be a two-lane structure, spanning 800 meters in length and 10 m in width, and will be built about 400 m downstream of a railway bridge over the river.

In June last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement in Pyongyang to build a bridge over the Tumen River on the sidelines of their broader mutual defense treaty deal.

SI Analytics pointed out that while the latest signs could be a result of the treaty signed last year, the underlying reason may be “Russia's need for additional support from North Korea, such as troop deployments or artillery supplies, due to significant casualties in the Ukraine war.”