Officials speculate that Russia may be running low on weapons.

According to reports from United States officials, Russia’s military has begun soliciting the military forces of North Korea for assistance in the form of weapons, explosives, and ammunition deals. The latest report alleges that Russia has already cut a deal with Pyongyang for millions of new rockets and artillery shells.

Officials suspect that Russia has saught this partnership with North Korea as its invasion of Ukraine drags on and their military supplies begin to dwindle. Most other world powers have sought to distance themselves from Russia both economically and militarily, leaving North Korea one of their only options for sourcing fresh munitions.

According to Defense Department press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, who gave a press briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday, these new deals are “indicative of the situation Russia finds itself in.”

“It does demonstrate and is indicative of the situation Russia finds itself in in terms of logistics and sustainment capabilities as it relates to Ukraine,” Ryder said. “We assess that things are not going well on that front for Russia, so the fact that they’re reaching out to North Korea is a sign that they’re having some challenges on the sustainment front.”