Kyivstar Subsidiary Uklon Expands Product Ecosystem with Bus Ticket Purchasing
Rhea-AI Summary
Kyivstar (Nasdaq: KYIV) subsidiary Uklon launched the new "Travel" service in the Uklon mobile app on March 25, 2026, enabling users to purchase domestic and international bus tickets directly in-app.
The beta feature is integrated on the app's main screen and broadens Uklon's mobility ecosystem alongside ride-hailing, Uklon Delivery and Uklon Ads. Kyivstar also reiterates a planned USD 1 billion investment in Ukraine for 2023-2027.
Positive
- In-app bus ticketing launched for domestic and international routes
- Integration with main app screen for instant user access
- Kyivstar investment commitment of USD 1 billion (2023-2027)
Negative
- Beta launch — service is unproven at scale during initial rollout
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
While KYIV was flat pre-announcement, key peers like TEO, GSAT and Liberty Global classes A/B/K showed gains between 0.75% and 2.39%, suggesting broader sector strength rather than a stock-specific move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13 | Full-year results | Positive | +8.5% | Strong FY25 revenue and EBITDA growth with upbeat 2026 guidance. |
| Mar 06 | Operational update | Positive | +0.2% | 5 million Starlink Mobile satellite users and growing satellite traffic. |
| Feb 26 | Corporate governance | Neutral | -1.7% | Board visit to Ukraine highlighting resilience and ongoing investment plans. |
| Feb 10 | Acquisition | Positive | +0.4% | Completion of Tabletki.ua acquisition to expand digital healthcare offering. |
| Feb 03 | Secondary offering | Neutral | +2.8% | Oversubscribed secondary sale of 14.375M shares at $10.50 by shareholders. |
Recent fundamentally positive updates, especially on growth and digital expansion, have generally coincided with modestly positive price reactions.
Over recent months, Kyivstar has reported strong FY25 growth, with revenue up 25.9% to USD 1,157 mn and EBITDA up 25.8% to USD 648 mn, and saw a 8.53% gain after that update on Mar 13. It has expanded its digital ecosystem via acquisitions such as Tabletki.ua for USD 160 mn and completed a secondary offering of 14,375,000 shares at USD 10.50. The new Uklon “Travel” launch fits this ongoing push into multi-service digital platforms.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement extends Uklon’s functionality with a “Travel” feature, adding bus ticket purchasing for domestic and international routes to an existing ride-hailing and delivery platform. It fits Kyivstar’s broader strategy of building digital ecosystems, alongside healthcare and other services, and complements a planned USD 1 billion Ukraine investment through 2027. Observers may watch adoption of the new service relative to prior digital growth and recent acquisitions.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
“Travel” functionality now available in the Uklon App
KYIV, Ukraine and NEW YORK, March 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kyivstar Group Ltd (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW), the parent company of JSC Kyivstar, Ukraine's leading digital operator and part of VEON Group (Nasdaq: VEON), today announced its subsidiary Uklon, the largest ride-hailing firm in Ukraine, has launched its new "Travel" service in the Uklon mobile application. Users can now purchase tickets for domestic and international bus routes directly in the Uklon app without the need for third-party platform solutions.
The launch of the beta version of the service continues Uklon's transformation from a singular-product company into a diverse ecosystem of products and services, including ride-hailing, courier delivery through Uklon Delivery and its advertising platform, Uklon Ads. With "Travel" Uklon expands its portfolio of mobility and travel services to meet a variety of user needs: from daily movement within the city and suburbs via the ride-hailing service, to purchasing bus tickets for intercity and international routes.
"The launch of ‘Travel’ is our next step in building the Uklon ecosystem, where our products and services are present in various aspects of users' lives,” commented Serhii Hryshkov, CEO of Uklon. “For three years, our seasonal Ski Bus to Bukovel route demonstrated consistently high demand, which encouraged us to scale the service. Today, with air travel currently unavailable and the strain on the railway system increasing, we are creating a single entry point for planning trips. Our goal is simple: to provide users with the opportunity to buy a bus ticket across Ukraine or to Europe in the same familiar app they use to order a ride".
The “Travel” service is integrated directly into the main screen of the Uklon app, making the experience instantly familiar for users. Finding a route requires only choosing the departure city, destination, and date — after which the app automatically displays available carrier options.
About Kyivstar Group Ltd.
Kyivstar Group Ltd. (“Kyivstar”) is a Nasdaq-listed holding company that operates JSC Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading digital operator and the first Ukrainian company to list on a U.S. stock exchange. Kyivstar’s companies provide a broad range of connectivity and digital services, including mobile and fixed-line voice and data, ride-hailing, e-health, digital TV, and enterprise solutions such as Big Data, cloud, and cybersecurity.
Together with VEON, Kyivstar intends to invest USD 1 billion in Ukraine between 2023-2027, through investments in infrastructure, technological development and strategic acquisitions, as well as charitable donations for social projects.
For more information, please visit https://investors.kyivstar.ua.
Nasdaq tickers: KYIV; KYIVW
About JSC Kyivstar
JSC Kyivstar is Ukraine’s leading digital operator, serving more than 22.4 million mobile customers and over 1.2 million home internet fixed line customers as of December 31, 2025. The company provides services using a wide range of mobile and fixed technologies, including 4G, Big Data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity services, digital TV, and more. JSC Kyivstar is advancing new telecommunication technologies in Ukraine and together with VEON plans to invest USD 1 billion in this direction during 2023-2027.
JSC Kyivstar is wholly owned by Kyivstar Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: KYIV; KYIVW), whose shares traded on the U.S. stock exchange Nasdaq.
The company contributes to overcoming the challenges of wartime and, over the past three years, has allocated over UAH 4.4 billion to support the Defense Forces, its subscribers, and the implementation of social projects. JSC Kyivstar has operated in Ukraine for 28 years and is recognized as the largest taxpayer in the digital communications market, a top employer, and a socially responsible company.
Additional information: pr@kyivstar.net, www.kyivstar.ua.
About Uklon
Uklon is a product-based IT service company that developed the eponymous ridehailing service. Founded in Kyiv in 2010, Uklon is one of the leaders in the ride-hailing market in Ukraine. The company's digital service ecosystem includes Uklon Delivery (delivery service) and the Uklon Ads advertising platform. As of March 2026, the Uklon service is present in 27 cities in Ukraine and on the territory of the Bukovel tourist complex. The company also operates in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to, among other things, the launch of the new "Travel" service in the Uklon mobile application. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those expressed by such statements, including risks relating to the launch of the new "Travel" service in the Uklon mobile application, among others discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in Kyivstar Group’s 2025 Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 16, 2026, as amended and supplemented from time to time, and in any other subsequent filings with the SEC by Kyivstar Group. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this release and Kyivstar disclaims any obligation to update them, except as required by applicable laws.
FAQ
What is Uklon's new "Travel" service announced March 25, 2026 (KYIV)?
How does the Uklon "Travel" launch affect Kyivstar (KYIV) shareholders?
Can investors buy international bus tickets in the Uklon app now (KYIV)?
Where is the "Travel" feature located in the Uklon app and how does it work (KYIV)?
What is Kyivstar's USD 1 billion investment plan timeline and purpose (KYIV)?
