Russia will deploy a battalion and a regiment of its airborne forces in Crimea.

The Russian Airborne Forces will deploy a battalion next year and a regiment by 2018 in the northern Crimean city of Dzhankoi, Airborne Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Nikolai Ignatov said Monday.

“We plan a regiment in Dzhankoi, one battalion in 2017, then a full-fledged unit to be deployed by 2018,” Ignatov told reporters.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last week a self-sufficient force grouping has been formed in Crimea with more than 4,000 weapons and hardware, including coastal missile complexes, missile systems and submarines.