evidence: A dispute over Tuzla Island in the Kerch Strait arose between Russia and Ukraine in 2003, sparked by unannounced Russian construction of a causeway from their side of the strait toward the island, which is Ukrainian territory.[1] Russians offered various reasons for building the causeway, but Ukraine saw it as a threat to their territorial integrity. The dispute raised fears of an armed confrontation,[2] but a settlement was negotiated. Background [edit]Tuzla Island is a sandy island off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Formerly a spit connected by land to the Kuban region of Russia, it was disconnected from it by a heavy storm in 1925. In 1941, the island was transferred to the Crimean Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, which was part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. It became the Crimean Oblast in 1945, and the oblast was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954. Tuzla Island came under the control of the briefly independent Republic of Crimea (1992–1995) before joining with Ukraine when the Crimean parliament joined Ukraine in 1995. [...] The Ukrainian government responded by deploying border troops on the island.[2][5] Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said, "Tuzla is an integral part of Ukrainian territory". 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.[5]