South Korea’s spy chief has told lawmakers that North Korea has sent additional 1,500 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

Last week, the National Intelligence Service said it had confirmed that North Korea sent 1,500 special operation forces to Russia this month.

NIS director Cho Tae-yong told a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday that his agency has found North Korea sent additional 1,500 soldiers to Russia, according to lawmakers Park Sunwon and Lee Seong Kweun who attended the meeting.

Park cited Cho as saying that North Korea plans to send a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by December.