Bulgaria and Romania have two new specialized vessels that will support the maintenance of navigational signs and safe navigation on the Danube River. The vessels “Timok“ and “Dismar“ were delivered under the strategically important DISMAR project, funded under the Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria 2021-2027 Programme, and were officially named at a ceremony in Ruse on 22 October 2026.
One vessel will be used by the Bulgarian Executive Agency “Danube River Research and Maintenance“ (IAPPD), and the other – by the Romanian Administration for the Lower Danube - Galati (AFDJ). Their main task is to service and maintain the coastal navigation signs that indicate the shipping route along the river.
The godmother of the two ships was Margarida Marques, European coordinator of the transport corridor “Rhine-Danube“. The names of the vessels also carry their symbolism. “Timok“ continues the tradition of IAPPD ships bearing the names of Bulgarian tributaries of the Danube, and “Dismar“ is named after the project thanks to which the two vessels were delivered.
The two ships are part of a larger investment to modernize navigation on the common Bulgarian-Romanian section of the Danube. The DISMAR project, with a budget of over 13.5 million euros, envisages the construction of a single integrated system for marking the shipping lane along the entire course of the river. The project has already delivered over 2,000 coastal and 300 floating navigation signs, equipped with solar panels and an automatic identification system. A common platform has also been implemented, which allows for their real-time tracking.
The Regional Governor of Ruse, Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Vladimirov, emphasized the strategic importance of the project and pointed out that the acquisition of the two ships is an important step in strengthening the place of Bulgaria and Romania in the European transport network.
The Executive Director of IAPPD Ivelin Zanev thanked the crews who overcame severe hydrological and meteorological conditions during the transition of the ships from the shipyard to their bases.
The DISMAR project is being implemented jointly by IAPPD and the Romanian AFDJ with the support of the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works performs the functions of the National Authority for the program.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Managing and National Authorities of the program, the executive and local authorities.