Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine are to build a submarine cable system spanning the Black Sea.

Billed as a modern digital corridor connecting Europe with Asia, the Kardesa submarine cable system will see its first cable landing in Bulgaria in 2027, followed by landing points in Turkey, Georgia, and Ukraine. The announcement noted the Ukrainian build will only take place in internationally recognized safe zones within the country.

The project will be managed and delivered by British cable firm Xtera, and is expected to cost over €100 million ($116.5 million). It is also promised to deliver over 500 terabits per second of internet capacity through the Black Sea territory.

In a LinkedIn post, Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, noted the system will bypass Russian routes, while adding the project was fundamental in developing the nation’s electronic communications strategy.

“Kardesa is a major project for Ukraine, as it will strengthen digital sovereignty and the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure, establish Ukraine as a key hub for internet traffic between Europe and Asia, bypassing Russia, attract investment in the telecom sector, [and] provide fast and secure internet access for Ukrainians.

“Ukraine supports all cutting-edge technological initiatives and offers reliable partnership in projects of global scale,” said Federov.

Vodafone Group will support Vodafone Ukraine in the build, which as a Partner Market for the group is wholly owned by Neqsol Holding. The joint announcement from the firms said the project would enhance internet connectivity and speeds for local users, whilst also encouraging foreign investment in each nation's digital economies.

The project follows similar ventures from Vodafone such as the Beaufort cable system, a repeaterless submarine cable connecting Ireland and the UK, jointly developed and operated by Amazon (AWS) and Vodafone.

Vodafone Greece, meanwhile, announced last year it had landed the India-Europe-Xpress subsea cable at its cable landing station in Crete.