He said in an interview with Ukrinform that the order was given during the 2003 crisis over Tuzla Island.

"Let me remind you: during the crisis itself, I gave a direct order to open fire on the Russians if they crossed the border. What could have been tougher? As far as I know, before me, no head of state in modern history had ever ordered troops to fire on Russian soldiers," Kuchma said.

According to him, Russia immediately began de-escalating after Ukraine responded in this way.

"The construction of the dam stopped. Assurances were given that it had all been a misunderstanding," Kuchma said.

Read also:Kuchma names three fatal mistakes in Ukraine's years of independence

A Ukrainian-Russian conflict erupted in 2003 over Russia's construction of a dam from the Taman Peninsula toward Tuzla Island, triggering a crisis in bilateral relations. Disputes over the island's status led Ukraine to designate Tuzla as a restricted area. Some analysts believe Russia's construction of the dam was intended to pressure Ukraine into resolving the status of the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov.

In 2018, the so-called "Council of Ministers" of Russian-occupied Crimea transferred ownership to the Russian Federation of a plot of land measuring more than 6,500 square meters on Tuzla Island.

Photo: Valerii Soloviov