Medal "For the Return of Crimea" its "homing" to Russia two days before Yanukovych's removal from power and his resignation from the post of the President of Ukraine can be considered as an indirect proof that Russia launched its operation against Ukraine of seizing Crimean peninsula on February 20, 2014. Medal "For the Return of Crimea" The Medal "For the Return of Crimea" () is a Russian campaign medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The existence of the awards was also confirmed by Yaroslav Roshchupkin, an employee of the Central Military press service. The medal was awarded to military and civilian personnel
Reaction of Russian intelligentsia to the 2014 annexation of Crimea actions." He was blacklisted in Ukraine as a result. Other prominent figures to support the annexation of Crimea and as a result getting blacklisted in Ukraine were actress Irina Alfyorova, singer Yuri Loza, actor Valentin Gaft, comedian Mikhail Zadornov, and winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film director Nikita Mikhalkov. Director Alexander Mitta expressed support of the return of Crimea to Russia; however, Mitta also said that he didn't like the fact that it was used as a way to distract the Russian population of the internal problems Russia was facing. The annexation of Crimea divided the