The Russians and North Koreans are obviously coming closer after fighting shoulder to shoulder in the Ukraine war. On Wednesday, both countries began construction of a road bridge between them that will span the Tumen river, part of an effort to strengthen their strategic partnership, Russia’s prime minister said.
The bridge is being built near the existing “Friendship Bridge”, a rail bridge which was commissioned in 1959 after the Korean war.
At a ceremony dedicated to the start of the new bridge’s construction, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said it was a significant event in Russian-North Korean relations, the TASS state news agency reported.
“The significance goes far beyond just an engineering task,” Mishustin was quoted as saying. “It symbolises our common desire to strengthen friendly, good-neighbourly relations and increase inter-regional cooperation.”
The new road bridge, which has been under discussion for years, will be 850 metres (2789 ft) and link up with the Russian highway system. Its construction was agreed during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in 2024.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said the bridge will be ready by the summer of 2026.
Mishustin said the bridge “will allow entrepreneurs to significantly increase transportation volumes and reduce transportation costs, ensure reliable and stable supplies of various products, which will contribute to the expansion of trade and economic cooperation,” TASS reported.
About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing the country’s intelligence agency. The loss of lives is substantial. If the normal yardsticks of ratio between dead an wounded are applied, atleast another 2,500 North Koreans would have been injured.
The North Koreans provided had the 15,000 strong force to the Russians at a fairly crucial stage of the battle. The Ukrainians had captured a sizeable chunk of territory in Kursk, and Russians could hardly afford to side-step reinforcements from its south-west, Donetsk area. The lack of combat exposure may have resulted in higher casualties among the North Koreans.
Team BharatShakti
(With Inputs from Reuters)
