Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation military intervention in Ukraine "until normalization of a socio-political environment in the country". Putin's swift manoeuvre prompted protests of intelligentsia and demonstrations in Moscow against a Russian military campaign in Crimea. By 2 March, Russian troops moving from the country's naval base in Sevastopol and reinforced by troops, armour, and helicopters from mainland Russia exercised complete control over the Crimean Peninsula. Russian troops operated in Crimea without insignia. On 4 March Ukrainian General Staff claimed there are units of 18th Motor Rifle Brigade, 31st Air Assault Brigade and 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade deployed and operating in Crimea instead of Russian Black
Crimea Railway of Crimea, the Russian-installed authorities of the new Republic of Crimea established Crimea Railway as a publicly-owned company (a unitary enterprise in Russia) and the city of Sevastopol. In Spring 2014, railway equipment was exported from Crimea to mainland Ukraine, including passenger locomotives, track machines and new cars. The parts of the Crimean Directorate in the Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhya Oblast of Ukraine were transferred to the Zaporizhia Directorate of Cisdnieper Railways. The trains of the reassigned railway were painted over, with the emblem of Ukraine and the logo of Ukrainian Railways replaced by the emblem of the Republic of