Russia is reportedly assembling a battalion of North Korean soldiers for its war in Ukraine. 

Quoting sources in Ukraine’s military, Ukrainian media outlets the Kyiv Post and LIGA.net reported on Tuesday that Russia is forming a special battalion as part of its army’s 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade. 

LIGA.net said the new battalion, which is expected to include approximately three-thousand North Korean nationals, is currently being supplied with small arms and ammunition. 

It said the battalion may be deployed to the Kursk region, close to the Ukrainian border, where Ukraine launched an attack in August.

The Kyiv Post quoted a source in Ukraine’s Military Intelligence as saying North Korea is providing large-scale support for Russia, not only with weapons and military equipment but also by supplying personnel.