The Central Bank of Russia is issuing new 100 ruble commemorative bank notes that feature the federal cities of Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea.
Nearly two years ago, the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea was controversially "reunified" with Russia by way of well equipped, organized, and trained "self-defense units" that were actually Russian special forces.
The operation to seize Crimea began on February 27, 2014, when an unidentified task force captured several government buildings including the parliament in Simferopol. Within a month, a treaty was signed to annex Crimea and turning the peninsula into a Russian forward operating base.
Front: The "Swallow's Nest" castle, a Crimean landmark
Back: Scuttled ships in Sevastopol Bay