New Submarine Project: Connecting Ukraine with Europe and Asia

Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine have announced the start of construction for the new submarine cable system Kardesa, which will connect Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia. This system will run through the Black Sea and will become part of the digital infrastructure linking Europe and Asia while bypassing Russia. This was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

It is noted that Vodafone is the main partner in Europe, and the section of the submarine cable on the seabed of the Black Sea will be partially financed by Ukrainian Vodafone and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry.

The ministry emphasized the importance of this project for Ukraine for the following reasons:

• Digital sovereignty and security. The cable will significantly enhance the stability of the Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure.
• New transit potential. Ukraine will become a key transit link between Europe and Asia.
• Investment and job creation. The project will stimulate the development of infrastructure (data centers, traffic exchange points) and the digital economy, attracting investments and creating new jobs for engineers, project managers, and IT specialists.

"Kardesa will add an additional 500 Tbps of capacity for the Black Sea region, which is critically important for the growth of traffic from 5G, AI, and streaming services. The total cost of the project exceeds 100 million euros," the statement read.

The construction of the first section in Bulgaria is scheduled to begin in 2027. In Ukraine, all work will be carried out exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones and under conditions of stability and security in the region.