- New underwater routes promise independence but expose new risks in unstable regions
- The Black Sea has become the next frontier in the fight for Europe’s digital sovereignty
- Fears of cable sabotage have turned telecommunications infrastructure into a national security issue
A new submarine cable project is planned to connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine without passing through Russian waters.
The new Kardesa route, expected to begin construction in 2027, would establish a new digital corridor between Europe and Asia, which would avoid the political and physical vulnerabilities of existing systems.
Currently, the submarine cable map shows only one cable crossing the Black Sea between Georgia and Bulgaria, while others connect neighboring states but still touch Moscow-influenced routes.
Safety under the waves
The Kardesa line could therefore change regional Internet routing by providing a more direct and independent link, at a time when the security of global data transfer remains uncertain.
Recent incidents in the Red Sea have revealed just how fragile underwater networks can be, after several cables snapped and global traffic between Europe, Asia and the Middle East slowed.
The idea behind Kardesa, and other projects such as Meta’s planned 50,000-kilometer global cable, is to ensure that when one path fails or is sabotaged, another can maintain service.
Some call this “route diversity,” and it is quickly becoming a strategic rather than a technical priority.
Countries are now investing in systems that can detect or deter sabotage. German company AP Sensing has developed sonar-based monitoring tools to identify interference.
For added security, NATO has started using drones to patrol maritime routes housing vital infrastructure.
Still, the claim that bypassing Russia automatically makes the Internet safer invites skepticism.
Route changes could avoid one geopolitical hotspot but expose others. Ukraine, through which part of the Kardesa cable will pass, remains an area of uncertainty.
The plan to run the cable only through internationally recognized safety zones could limit the risks but cannot eliminate them completely.
Likewise, avoiding Russia does not protect against cyber intrusions or remote interference with transmission infrastructure.
As with digital privacy tools like the best VPN or secure router, physical protections are only part of a complex solution.
If this new connection succeeds, it could mark a shift in the way Europe and its partners view online independence.
Via Tom’s material
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
