Key bridge linking North Korea and Russia almost finished, satellite images show

Construction began about a year later and BBC Verify has been using satellite imagery to track its progress.The crossing, known as the Khasan–Tumangang Bridge, has been built to handle up to 300 vehicles and 2,850 people a day, according to Russia's transport ministry.The total cost is estimated to exceed 9bn roubles (£88m; $120m), according to Russian state media."The speed of construction is a reflection of the volume of trade activity between the two sides," said Victor Cha from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank."This is spurred largely by North Korea's provision of troops, weapons, munitions, and labourers for Putin's war in Ukraine," he said.Russian and North Korean drivers will likely be expected to transfer over lorries full of goods at the crossing because they will be restricted from operating vehicles further into each other's territories, according to the CSIS.The countries held a ceremony on 21 April to mark the joining of the two sides of the bridge and Russia's embassy in North Korea has said construction is set to be completed on 19 June.