▁authorities ▁claimed ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁transfer ▁of ▁Crime a ▁to ▁Ukraine ▁had ▁only ▁included ▁the ▁contin ental ▁parts ▁of ▁Crime a , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁T uz la ▁Island ▁had ▁been ▁administr atively ▁part ▁of ▁Crime a ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁ ▁Events ▁The ▁Russian ▁side ▁started ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁dam ▁from ▁the ▁T aman ▁Pen ins ula ▁towards ▁the ▁island ▁to ▁rev ive ▁the ▁er oded ▁pen ins ula ▁without ▁any ▁pre lim inary ▁consult ations ▁with ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁government ▁authorities . ▁After ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 . 8   km ▁long ▁dam ▁was ▁susp ended ▁at ▁the ▁exact ▁point ▁of ▁the ▁Russian - U k rain ian ▁border , ▁the ▁distance ▁between ▁the ▁dam ▁and ▁the ▁island ▁is ▁now ▁. ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁dam ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁increase ▁of ▁the ▁intensity ▁of ▁stream ▁in ▁the ▁stra it ▁and ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁the ▁island . ▁To ▁prevent ▁the ▁d eter ior ation ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Ukraine ▁fund ed ▁ground ▁works ▁to ▁deep en ▁the ▁bed ▁of ▁the ▁stra it . ▁The ▁reason ▁for ▁those ▁ground ▁works ▁was ▁to ▁stop ▁Russian ▁ships ▁from ▁having ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁to ll ▁to ▁Ukraine ▁for ▁crossing ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Ker ch , ▁which ▁is ▁considered ▁as ▁territorial ▁waters ▁of ▁Ukraine . ▁Ukraine ▁refused ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁stra it ▁as ▁inner ▁waters ▁of ▁both ▁countries ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 3