EastEnders is also screened in Russia, New Zealand and the US

Ukraine is the latest country to be able to pick up the east London-set soap.

The BBC's international entertainment channel BBC Prime is to transmit to the country on Ukrainian cable network Volia.

EastEnders already has a potential audience of more than 45 million people around the world, including Russia, Africa and Australia, through satellite operators.

The soap is also shown on terrestrial TV in New Zealand and to the US on BBC America, where it is available in 35m homes.

Ukrainian viewers will also be able to tune in to other BBC shows including the Weakest Link, Top of the Pops and the Parkinson chat show.

As well as the latest episodes of EastEnders, viewers can also catch up with classic shows featuring memorable characters such as Dirty Den and Angie.

"Cable television has great potential in Ukraine so introducing such a prestigious channel from the BBC is a strong step forward for our business," Volia president Sergey Boyko said.