Thomas Nilsen

Warm socks and other products from Norwegian border town help Putin’s war

The largest relief organizations in Murmansk bring products from Kirkenes to soldiers at the battlefield, a review by the Barents Observer shows.
November 17, 2023

Newest submarine launched Bulava missile from White Sea

Firing a ballistic missile is the final test before the submarine will be handed over to the Navy.
November 05, 2023

Norway launches second coast guard vessel tailored to the future needs of patrol in Arctic Oceans

The KV Bjørnøya is the second of three ships in the new Jan Mayen class.
November 04, 2023

Border traffic between Murmansk and Norway dropped after entry-ban for private cars

The Norwegian police border control authority says travel across Schengen’s northern entry from Russia is dramatically lower compared with last month.
November 04, 2023

Isolated Russia invites faraway countries to upcoming Svalbard science center in Pyramiden

India, Turkey, China, Brazil and Thailand are all interested in teaming up under Moscow’s umbrella at a new science complex as Russia plans to bring life back to the world’s northernmost ghost town.
October 30, 2023

Russia threatens to withdraw from fishery deal with Norway. Little to worry about, says expert

Limiting access for Russian fishing vessels to Norwegian ports is illegitimate, Moscow claims and warns that further restrictions could cause a suspension of the 2024 fishery agreement.
October 27, 2023

Space forces launched military satellites from Plesetsk

Russia’s fourth launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket with military payload in a year.
October 27, 2023

Lonely Putin presided over strategic drill same day as parliament revokes ratification of nuclear test ban treaty

All three legs of Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces were involved as the annual GROM exercise took place on October 25.
October 25, 2023

Kremlin makes Barents Sea ready for Grom nuclear drill

Russia’s annual nuclear deterrence exercise will most likely take place in the coming week.
October 22, 2023

Barents Sea cod quotas lowered by 20% for the third year in a row

Norway and Russia find common interests in cod and other fish stocks. A deal is reached on the 2024 quotas.
October 22, 2023

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Independent Barents Observer with its news desk located in Kirkenes, northern Norway. He has a long experience in media cooperation across the borders in the high north of Europe, both as radio- and newspaper reporter all the way back to the days before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Nilsen has been editor of Barents Observer since 2009.

He was Deputy Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat from 2004-2009. Until 2003, he worked 12 years for the Bellona Foundation’s Russian study group, focusing on nuclear safety issues and general environmental challenges in northern areas and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and organizations. He is also a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security issues, environmental and socio-economic development.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas