evidence: This turbulent and divisive climate of Russian-Ukrainian relations has not been stopped by the signing of the Partition Treaty in 1997. The next stage of the Russian-Ukrainian turbulence over the Azov-Black Sea region started in 2003, with a completely new form and level of intensity. This time, both sides were engaged in a much deeper and more aggressive rivalry, which was beyond mere diplomatic means and pure political rhetoric. Tuzla Island, a tiny island located between the shores of the Kerch Strait, became the "island of contention." The island was transferred to the Crimean Autonomic Republic in 1941, but at that time the peninsula belonged to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialistic Republic. It was only in 1954 when the Crimean Peninsula was transferred to Ukraine, together with the entire military strategic infrastructure. Still, during those times it was a single country and all of those administrative-territorial differences were mostly nominal. The situation changed tremendously when both Ukraine and Russia gained their independence. However, the problem did not seem to be as urgent as the separatist movement in Crimea or the Russian naval base in Sevastopol. [...] In 2018, fifteen years since the beginning of the Tuzla Island conflict, it has become evident that the Russian investments have finally paid off and aided the building of the Crimean Bridge. Not so long ago, the former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma recalled the Tuzla events from 2003 and claimed that only the tough and uncompromising policy preserved Ukrainian sovereignty over Tuzla Island.[29] However, in 2014, Ukraine was too fragile to properly respond to Russia.