Redazione RHC : 26 October 2025 09:21
Eastern Europe is preparing for a new phase in telecommunications security. An ambitious submarine cable project, called Kardesa , will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine without crossing Russian territorial waters, aiming to reduce dependence on Moscow for digital infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 .
The new route aims to create a more stable and politically independent data corridor between Europe and Asia . Currently, only one cable connects Georgia and Bulgaria across the Black Sea , while other routes remain vulnerable because they pass near Kremlin-influenced routes. Kardesa intends to change this configuration, offering a more direct and secure connection.
The security of undersea cables has become a strategic issue. Recent incidents in the Red Sea , where several cable breaks slowed global internet traffic, have highlighted the fragility of underwater networks.
The concept of “path diversity” —the redundancy of transmission paths to avoid interruptions— has become a political as well as technological priority . Meta is also moving in this direction, working with Kardesa to develop a global network of 50,000 kilometers of cables capable of guaranteeing service continuity in the event of failure or sabotage.
Growing awareness of the risks has prompted European countries to invest in underwater threat detection systems . The German company AP Sensing has developed acoustic sensors based on sonar technology capable of detecting anomalous activity along cables. At the same time, NATO has introduced the use of drones to monitor sea lanes carrying critical infrastructure.
Avoiding Russian territory, however, doesn’t mean eliminating all risks. Part of the Kardesa cable route will cross Ukraine , a region still geopolitically unstable. Even by limiting cable laying to internationally recognized safe zones, threats cannot be completely ruled out.
Likewise, a physically protected infrastructure cannot prevent cyber attacks or remote interception of transmitted signals.
The Kardesa project represents a symbolic and concrete step towards greater European digital autonomy . As with personal protection tools such as VPNs and secure routers , physical data protection also becomes an integral part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.
If successfully implemented, the Black Sea Cable could redefine how Europe and its partners think about network security and sovereignty in the next decade.
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