Thread by @VolodyaTretyak

The first time Russia tried to annex Ukrainian territories. THREAD
In 2022, we have often heard about Snake Island. There is another island that has been occupied since 2014 and which Russia tried to occupy in 2003. Its name is Tuzla.

As always, we need to look at the background of the situation. Geography and history of the island matter.
The island is situated between Crimea and Krasnodar Krai (Russia). /1

Tuzla Island was formed when the spit that continued the Taman peninsula (Russia) suffered from massive erosion during a major storm in 1925. The island is 6 km long and 600 m wide. /2

After that, in 1941, the island became part of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (in USSR). As we know, in 1954, Crimea Oblast (since 1945, it was not a republic anymore) was given to the Ukrainian SSR. /3

In September 2003, Russia started to build a dam from the Taman Peninsula towards the island to revive the eroded peninsula without any preliminary consultations with the Ukrainian government authorities. /4

Russia planned to annex the island and claim the Kerch strait as their internal water. Until then, the waters entirely belonged to Ukraine according to the border between the two soviet republics. /5

It confirms the statement by Rogozin in 2003, who gained some attention on Twitter earlier this year by writing nonsense. At that time, he was Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. /6

Local fishermen first spotted the construction. Alexander says they were ready to fight and asked the military for some bazookas. /7

President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma flies back from a South America trip to solve the problem. Ukraine mobilizes around 500 soldiers, and the president visits the island himself. /8

On October 30–31, 2003, talks started between Ukraine and Russia, which led to the dam's construction suspension. The distance to the unfinished damn was around 100 meters from the island. The dam was 3.8 km long. President Kuchma: /9

On 24.12.2003, two presidents signed a contract. According to the document, the strait of Kerch waters is shared internal waters of both countries. However, the conflict was not completely dissolved. /10

According to the reportage from 2008, Ukraine built a modern border base on the island after the dispute.

ukraine.segodnya.ua/ukraine/tuzla-… /11

In 2010 Ukrainian Ambassador to Russia did not have optimism about the agreement. According to him, Russia did not want to mark any border and use the Kerch strait together. /12

The Ukrainian side wanted to stick to the official border, similar to the border division between the Ukrainian and Russian SSRs.
pravda.com.ua/news/2010/12/9… /13

We all know what happened in 2014. By the way, general Koval (mentioned in the video) was still working in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. In March 2014, he was kidnapped and later released by Russian forces. /14

After he was appointed an Acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine, until 2021, he worked in National Security and Defense Council. /15

Russia used the island and the dam to build the Crimea bridge, and now the bridge relies on the Tuzla island. /16

Looking back now, it is somehow painful to understand that Ukrainians have not seen the threat from Russia after 2003. /17

Western countries should have seen a danger too, but considering the ignorance of events in Georgia back in 2008, I don't think we could expect a reaction regarding the Tuzla conflict. /18

Please like, retweet, and follow. I would really appreciate it this time, as I have spent a lot of time editing videos, finding pictures, etc.
end /19

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