Ministry of Digital Transformation: Vodafone to lay underwater cable across the Black Sea to bypass russia

The Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine will begin construction of the Kardesa submarine cable system, which shall connect Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia. The new route is to stretch across the Black Sea and become part of a digital corridor connecting Europe and Asia, bypassing russia.

The goal of the project is to increase the reliability and security of communications in the Black Sea region, as well as to create an alternative route to avoid dependance on lines passing through russia.

In Europe, the main partner is global Vodafone. The section of the submarine cable along the bottom of the Black Sea will be financed, in particular, by Ukrainian Vodafone and implemented together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Why is this important for Ukraine?

• Digital sovereignty and security. The cable will significantly increase the reliability and resilience of Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure.
• New transit potential. Ukraine shall become a key transit link connecting Europe and Asia.
• Investment and jobs. The project is to stimulate the development of infrastructure (data centers, traffic exchange points) and the digital economy, facilitate investment, and create new jobs (especially for engineers, project managers, and IT specialists).

Kardesa will add an additional 500 Tbit/s of bandwidth to the Black Sea region. This is critical for the growth of traffic from 5G, AI, and streaming services. The project cost is over EUR 100 million.

Construction of the first section, in Bulgaria, will begin in 2027. In Ukraine, all work will be carried out exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones and subject to stability and security in the region.

The Kardesa project is an important step towards Ukraine's integration into global digital projects and strengthening its position as a strategic digital hub.