South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reports that North Korea has deployed 3,000 troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, with up to 10,000 more expected by December. Signs of troop training were detected in September, and they are now in Russian training facilities.

North Korean authorities are isolating the families of the deployed soldiers to prevent news from spreading. Both Moscow and Pyongyang deny the claims, dismissing them as “fake news.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggests this may indicate Russia’s struggle with manpower in the ongoing conflict.