Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n A bridge is being built between the Russian town of Khasan in the Far East and the North Korean town of Tumangan. This is a sparsely populated border area, where the Tuman River forms the final few kilometres of the border before the coast.<\/p>\n North Korea has completed its section of the construction, including customs and quarantine facilities, ahead of the planned opening on 19 June. Russia did not manage to complete the work on its side, so the crossing did not open, and the parties have not announced a new date.<\/p>\n The bridge itself is about one kilometre long and seven metres wide, with two lanes. Including the approach roads, the total length of the crossing is 4.7 kilometres. Satellite images also show infrastructure being built on the Russian side, including a helipad.<\/p>\n The Russian authorities describe the project as a means of expanding trade, optimising logistics, strengthening cultural ties and promoting the development of the border region. The DPRK\u2019s state news agency, KCNA, also links it to travel, tourism and the movement of goods.<\/p>\n However, an investigation by Truth Hounds, seen by The Guardian, reaches a different conclusion: the crossing appears to be more of a strategic infrastructure for the movement of North Korean military personnel, construction crews and officials into Russia, and, in the opposite direction, Russian technology and resources. The Kremlin was asked about these findings but did not respond.<\/p>\n Nazar Mygun, who led the open-source investigation by Truth Hounds, explained that road transport is more difficult to monitor via satellite. Lorries in satellite images mostly look similar; they can be loaded at different locations, and operations take place more quickly. Rail transport, by contrast, is tied to a limited number of hubs; the type of wagons and open-top freight often provide more clues about their contents.<\/p>\n According to investigators\u2019 estimates, the construction could have cost over 100 million dollars. At the same time, bilateral trade in 2024, according to the figures cited in the article, amounted to just 34 million dollars.<\/p>\n\n
The opening has been postponed due to Russia\u2019s delay<\/h2>\n
![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot_1-213.png\")
<\/a>Why are researchers talking about a military route?<\/h2>\n
The economic case seems weak<\/h2>\n