North Korea welcomed the first time on the road to Russia

North Korea said the development of its first passenger to Russia was a “significant” cornerstone in relations between the two countries, according to the state media of the country, KCNA.

The construction of the bridge – set to cover the Tumen River in the northeastern part of the country – began on Wednesday. It will be located near the only other land on Earth between Russia and North Korea – a railway bridge of the Soviet era called the “Friendship Bridge”.

The bridge was designated for the completion by mid -2026, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.

Comes shortly after North Korea confirmed for the first time that he sent troops to support Russia in his war against Ukraine.

The new bridge is the latest sign of deepening ties between the two highly sanctioned countries that have approached since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The plans for the new bridge were resolved during Russian President Vladimir Putin A visit to Pyongyang last yearWhere he signed an agreement on “complete strategic partnership” with North Korea – the highest level of bilateral links for Moscow.

At a ceremony marking the start of the construction of the bridge, Russian Prime Minister Michael Mishustin said the bridge was “far beyond a simple engineering task”.

“It symbolizes our common desire to strengthen the friendly, good neighboring relationships and increase inter -regional cooperation,” he added.

Construction of the bridge began the same day when South Korean MPs said more than 600 North Korean troops had been killed, struggling for Russia in his war against Ukraine, citing their intelligence officials.

In return for military support, Moscow seems to have provided Pyongyang technical assistance for spy satellites, drones and air missiles, they added.

Earlier this week, North Korea said its soldiers helped to “completely release” the Russian border region of Kursk, eight months after the surprise of Ukraine.

Ukraine says some of his forces are still in the Russian region.