The second-largest Ukrainian mobile operator, VF Ukraine (Vodafone Ukraine, VFU), which redeemed its own Eurobonds worth almost $7 million at the end of May in connection with the payment of dividends, received bids for a total nominal amount of $127.14 million at the next tender for their repurchase with a total nominal value of $10.84 million.
According to the company’s stock exchange announcement, some of the bonds were returned to their owners due to the impossibility of splitting the nominal value, while the rest were accepted with a scaling factor of 0.1150681.
As a result, on the settlement date of November 20, bonds with a total nominal value of $10 million 773.23 thousand were purchased under the tender offer. All of them were canceled, and after such cancellation, the total nominal value of bonds remaining in circulation is $281 million 759.03 thousand, the company said.
As reported, in the first two tenders, Vodafone Ukraine repurchased bonds for an amount equivalent to EUR 1 million. The debut repurchase was announced at a price of 99% of the nominal value, the second at 90% of the nominal value. The company did not announce the results of the second buyback on the stock exchange, while the scaling factor for the first buyback was 0.0040355668.
Following the results of the third tender, where the redemption price was reduced to 85% of the nominal value and the offer was limited to $4.67 million, Vodafone Ukraine received bids for $53.395 million and satisfied them in the amount of $5.208 million. The scaling factor was 0.1315451889487317.
The fourth tender was announced on August 13 and was subsequently extended seven times. As a result, the redemption price was increased from 85% to 98%, and the redemption amount to $10.84 million.
Bonds maturing in February 2027 with a coupon rate of 9.625% per annum were issued for $300 million. After the cancellation of the redeemed bonds, the total nominal value of the bonds remaining in circulation is $292.532 million.
The redemption of Eurobonds is related to the fact that on April 24, 2025, VFU announced the payment of dividends to its shareholder in the amount of UAH 660.245 million ($15.9 million at the exchange rate specified in the announcement) for 2024. According to the restrictions of the National Bank, they will be paid in separate monthly dividend payments. Each such monthly dividend is expected to amount to UAH 1 million, which is equivalent to EUR 1 million. The company emphasized that, under the terms of the bond issue, it must offer all bondholders the opportunity to apply for their sale for an amount equal to the dividends paid outside Ukraine. Since then, seven monthly dividend payments have been made, each equivalent to approximately EUR 1 million.
As reported, VFU increased its net profit by 10.7% to UAH 3 billion 446.80 million and its revenue by 13.3% to UAH 19.03 billion in the first nine months of this year.
The report noted that the company will receive loans from related parties this year to service and redeem Eurobonds. In February, the parent company Telco Investments B.V. provided $49.59 million for partial repayment of Eurobond debt. In June, an agreement was signed with Telco Investments for a dollar credit line in the amount equivalent to UAH 660 million, at 10% per annum, maturing in 2028.
Finally, in July 2025, a loan agreement was signed with the Dutch company Cemin B.V. for $10 million at 10% per annum, with a repayment date no later than the end of 2027, but not earlier than the maturity of the Eurobonds. The funds are credited in tranches to the company’s bank account in a foreign bank and are to be used to redeem bonds, which Vodafone Ukraine is doing in connection with the resumption of dividend payments this year.
