Russia recognized Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea in the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty of 1997, but the status of Tuzla Island was not settled and remained a sore spot in Russia–Ukraine relations.

[1] On September 9, 2003, Russians began construction of a causeway from the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Krai towards Tuzla Island.

One had it that a local self-government body of the Kuban Cossacks authorised construction to reduce salt water flow to Taman Bay, to thus improve conditions for certain species of fish.

[3] Kyiv newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli suggested that it was supported by local Crimean and Russian businessmen and Ukrainian Communist politician Leonid Hrach to convince Ukraine and Russia to build a bridge over Kerch Strait to facilitate trade.

Deputy Prime minister Mykola Azarov later said that the Ukrainian government would spend "whatever amount necessary" to defend its national interest following the allocation of 5.5 million hryvnia to increase border security on Tuzla.

[6] On October 23, 2003, the Verkhovna Rada issued a resolution "to eliminate a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine that appeared as a result of dam construction by the Russian Federation in the strait of Kerch".

[7] The incident damaged Leonid Kuchma's reputation domestically, as he was accused of attempting to control Ukrainian media reporting on the event.