The assessment came two days after North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia recapture parts of the Kursk region.

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.

It comes after the first official acknowledgement by Pyongyang and Moscow of North Korean troops' involvement in the Ukraine war.