U.S. Army soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland will be deployed to the checkpoints at the border with Ukraine

A military source with firsthand knowledge told ABC News on Thursday that U.S. Army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland will be deployed to checkpoints along the Ukrainian border to assist with a probable surge in traffic.

Their current objective differs from their former one of “deter and assure,” as a full-scale Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine is already underway.

With Ukraine’s airspace closed, the source predicts a huge increase in traffic at border checks, including nationals from NATO member states. Estimates of the number of possible refugees, on the other hand, were sketchy.

A total of 5,200 US troops are presently stationed in Poland, with another 300 on their way from Germany. There was no expectation of any conflict with the Russian forces attacking Ukraine, even if they were on slightly greater alert.