Ignoring Washington's warnings, Moscow-backed troops have been moving a disputed border deeper into Georgia, a former Soviet republic that is now a staunch U.S. ally. (1/8) 
Russia agreed to withdraw its soldiers as part of a cease-fire deal in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, but they have not. Instead, troops or their local allies have bolstered the separatists' boundaries or moved them deeper into Georgia. (2/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
On the 260-mile boundary between Georgia and South Ossetia, there have been at least 56 instances of borderization since 2011, according to the Heritage Foundation. (3/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
"We can do nothing to protect ourselves … we cannot start war on them," says 59-year-old Temuri Khuroshvili, a retired police officer. His home is surrounded by annexed territory on 3 sides. (4/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
The breakdown of the state has led people to focus on ethnic divisions. "People were very integrated, the links were very close and there were many families with marriages from both sides,” says International Crisis Group's Olesya Vartanyan. (5/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
Entire communities along the boundary have been cleaved in 2, and many have not seen friends or family in years. "I have many relatives there, very close relatives, we call each other by phone ... but we cannot go and visit them." (6/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
Dance teacher Nikolos Korashvili’s brother was forced to flee after he woke up to find that the boundary had been moved overnight. "The border was in his land plot. He had to run away with his children and his family." (7/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
NATO’s Secretary General says all member states have “reaffirmed that Georgia will become a member of NATO.” Putin warns that if NATO did add Georgia, he would “respond appropriately to such aggressive steps which pose a direct threat to Russia.” (8/8) nbcnews.to/2KomBBx
