Australia has confirmed that a Russian naval convoy is heading toward its waters in that latest show of Russian military grandstanding. Russia also announced it will begin air patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. Both of these actions are seen as retaliation to U.S. and Australian responses concerning Russia's involvement in the Ukraine

Russia has sent a squadron of four ships towards Australia as the G20 summit nears, which will be held in Brisbane, according to BBC. The Australian Defense Force issued a statement, saying they had deployed ships to shadow the Russian squadron but continued to explain the ships can navigate freely within international waters.

"The movement of these vessels is entirely consistent with provisions under international law for military vessels to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters," the statement said, adding that similar deployments had happened during previous international summits.

The ships have been sighted in the Coral Sea still outside of Australia's territorial waters, and the ADF has deployed two destroyers and a surveillance ship after them, reports the Telegraph.

The ships' presence so close to Australia has been seen as a response to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent comments about confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin about the shooting down of fight MH17. However, he called Russia's move "unusual."

"Unusual, not entirely unprecedented, but unusual. ... Let's not forget that Russia has been much more militarily assertive in recent times," Abbott said and then reiterated that Australian ships are monitoring them.

Maxim Raku, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Canberra, said, "We really don't break any rules, we stick to international law, so why should we be seen as a danger?"

The ships deployed to follow the Russian squadron are the destroyers HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Stuart as well as the tanker HMAS Sirius, according to News Corp Australia. The Russian missile cruiser Varyag, flagship of Russia's Pacific Squadron, is part of the incoming convoy.

According to CBS News, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russian bombers will be participating in longer surveillance flights, which include the Gulf of Mexico. Russia is also in talks with Latin American nations to allow Russia ships to use their ports, including Venezuela and Cuba.