Russia and North Korea are putting the finishing touches on a bridge that will form the first road link ever built between them - a project officials insist is purely for tourism and trade, even as Ukraine's human rights investigators squint suspiciously and mutter about military supply routes.

The bridge spans the Tumen River between Khasan in Russia's far east and Tumangang in North Korea, a remote stretch of borderland where the river marks the final miles before the coast. North Korea has completed its side, including customs and quarantine facilities, ahead of a planned opening on 19 June. Russia, however, has fallen behind on its own side, and no new opening date has been confirmed.

Russian and North Korean authorities have presented the project as a way to boost “travel of persons, tourism and circulation of commodities,” according to North Korea's KCNA news agency. But a new investigation by Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds suggests the real purpose is a discreet military logistics corridor for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Nazar Myhun, who led the open-source research, noted that roads are much easier to evade satellite monitoring than rail networks - a key advantage when you're trying to move troops and weapons without the West's prying eyes. The new crossing runs alongside the Friendship Bridge, the only rail link between the two countries, which has a mismatch in rail gauge requiring wheelset changes to travel further into either country's network - a limitation the road bridge doesn't share.

“Trucks, by contrast, almost always look the same in satellite imagery,” Myhun said. Meanwhile, the rail line's open railcars reveal cargo details, making it harder to hide weapons transfers.

Russian officials have touted the bridge as an economic boon. Transport minister Andrey Nikitin said it “will increase mutual trade, optimise logistics, strengthen cultural ties, and transform border areas into dynamically developing economic hubs.” But Truth Hounds argues the economic rationale is weak: the bridge cost more than $100 million, versus bilateral trade reportedly worth just $34 million in 2024. Tourism from Russia into North Korea remains tightly controlled, with around 10,000 Russian visitors in 2025, and Pyongyang lies over 500 km from the crossing.

The investigation concludes the bridge is better understood as strategic infrastructure: a corridor for moving North Korean troops, construction brigades, and military officials into Russia, and for Russian technology and resources to flow the other way. More than 14,000 North Korean troops have already fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing to receive a further 30,000 soldiers.

The bridge is about 1 km long and seven metres wide, with two lanes, part of a wider 4.7 km crossing that includes approach roads. Satellite imagery also shows supporting infrastructure on the Russian side, including a helicopter landing pad. Construction began after Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact in June 2024, cementing military ties that have since seen North Korea provide artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles. At least 2,000 North Korean servicemen are believed to have died fighting in Russia's war.

The Kremlin has been contacted about the claims but has yet to respond. Meanwhile, the bridge stands ready - or nearly ready - to carry whatever cargo its builders choose not to discuss.