Thread by @fermerzpolissia

#RussianColonialism 🧵 OTD in 2003 Russia made their first attempt after the collapse of the USSR to grab a piece of Ukrainian soil and almost provoked a military conflict. All that happened because of the tiny island in the middle of the Strait of Kerch - Tuzla. ⤵️

On September 29, 2003 , russians began construction of a dam from the shores of the 🇷🇺Taman Peninsula to the 🇺🇦island of Tuzla in order to join it to the Russian mainland. It was done under the pretext of protecting the coast of the Taman Peninsula from erosion. ⤵️

Why is this island important? Despite its small size (2.1 km2) the island turned out to be strategically important, it was separated from 🇷🇺by a shallow channel and from Crimea by a deep-water channel that made Ukraine the sole owner of the shipping passage through Kerch Strait⤵️

So at the end of September russians began the construction of a dam that would connect the island of Tuzla with the Russian coast and attempted to make Ukraine have a deal with russia for the joint use of the shipping passage through Kerch Strait. ⤵️

Besides active building of the dam Russia intensified its military activity in the region. Warships of the Novorossiysk Naval Base entered the territorial waters of Ukraine near Kerch and Russian marines and paratroopers began training with live shooting on the Taman Peninsula⤵️

At the same time russian propaganda machine began working as well. They began spreading the claim that Tuzla has always been a part of Russian territory and therefore its return is legal and justified. Sounds similar, right?⤵️

All this conflict was a well planned russian operation. It proves the very first article about the conflict published in a federal-level media "Komsomolskaya Pravda" on October 1, 2003 - the article "Russia will grow with Tuzla" ⤵️

After Russian construction workers reached Ukrainian territorial waters, the 🇺🇦MFA sent a note of protest to the 🇷🇺MFA. On October 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Hryshchenko went to Moscow to resolve the interstate conflict. It didn't work out.⤵️

Moreover on October 20, 2003 the Chief of 🇷🇺Presidential Administration Aleksandr Voloshin threatened to bomb the island of Tuzla if Ukraine would not allow to finish the construction. ⤵️

The only person who could resolve the conflict was the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma. Though he was in Latin America for almost two weeks with a series of state visits. Kuchma immediately interrupted the diplomatic tour and returned to Ukraine. He went directly to Tuzla ⤵️

A full-fledged border detachment was immediately deployed on the island. Armored gunboats were transferred to the Kerch Strait, the aviation was put on combat duty, and the marines were in full readiness waiting for the order. And they received the order.⤵️

Later Leonid Kuchma remembers: "I made a very serious statement: if this continues, we will shoot. We will open fire. I have said this publicly. I had to say that". ⤵️

🇷🇺propaganda reacted immediately. The article "Ukraine threatens Russia with war" was published. Per article it's not Russia provoking the conflict, violating the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine but Ukraine is positioned as the aggressor.⤵️

Construction of the dam was stopped on October 23, 102 meters from the land state border of Ukraine, after Leonid Kuchma and Putin agreed in Moscow to have the Agreement on Cooperation in the Use of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait. Russia got what they wanted⤵️

The Tuzla provocation was the final part of the Russian operation against Ukraine to force it to sign this agreement. No foreign warships could enter the Sea of ​​Azov after signing this agreement. Even if Ukraine invited, it was necessary to get Russia's consent and vice versa⤵️

What's more important the real purpose of the construction of the dam to Tuzla was to study the reaction of Ukraine and the world to the encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine by the Russia. They watched and learned as it was a part of a bigger plan. End of 🧵