Speaking today on state television, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shogu announced additional military deployments along the nation's southwestern flank with NATO,including the deployment of more air defense systems and ground troops into the Northern Caucasus, and additional troops into the Crimea.

Technically, Russia's territory in the Northern Caucasus doesn't border NATO, but is relatively close to Turkey, and has a substantial border with Georgia, which has NATO ambitions. Both Russia and NATO have been escalating deployments on their frontier in Europe, particularly in the Baltics, and this looks to be an extension of that.

The force in Crimea is in a similar state, bordering Ukraine, which also seeks to join NATO. Both Ukraine and Georgia are unlikely to successfully join NATO, however, as each has extent territorial disputes with Russia which would need to be resolved first. In Ukraine's case, the dispute is over Crimea, which during Ukraine's regime change in early 2014 voted to secede, seeking and gaining accession into the Russian Federation.