Human Rights

Russia has to pay compensation to 21 eco-activists, the European Court of Human Rights ruled. “It’s a pity Russia won’t comply though”, activists react.

Article
Video report

Svalbard residents on the boycott of Russia, climate change, and search for a new sustainable energy source.

Longform
Climate change:

Risky project conducted in Greenland to understand the scale of climate crisis

Article
War crimes

WANTED by Kyiv: war criminals from the Russian Arctic border town of Zapolyarny

Article
Vardø-Kiberg

In Norway's northeast, locals started process to import Soviet-era tank from Russia’s Northern Fleet

Article
Name list

Who are the North Russian men killed in Ukraine?

BBC:

Russia recruiting migrants near Finnish border to fight in Ukraine

war in ukraine

Mothers and wives of the mobilized soldiers took part in a military-style fashion show in the Yugra region

Arctic claims

Moscow aims for another grab: Navy Chief says Russia will expand into Arctic Ocean

Research - partner contents

Laura A. Janda

Defenseless Behind Bars

Fram Centre

Polar bears and whales in the spotlight of toxicological studies

Myklebost and Markussen

Norway under Russian pressure: Memory diplomacy as security policy

The Barents Observer Newsletter

After confirming you're a real person, you can write your email below and we include you to the subscription list.

Privacy policy

ADVERTISEMENT

Climate & Oil

As Norway's climate negotiators talk emission cuts at COP28, the country sends another oil rig to its remote Arctic waters

Defence agreement

Four North Swedish bases included in new deal with U.S

seabed minerals

Norwegian government backs up deep-sea mining plan, but environmentalists warn about disastrous consequences.

Kola Peninsula

Wives of naval troopers pose in Zapolyarny photo shoot

Podcasts

The ECHR awards compensation for inhumane conditions in Russian prisons

See more

Opinions

Thomas Nilsen

Criminalizing journalism to make us silent doesn’t works

Brig Gen Edward Vaughan

Agile, postured, ready with Allies and partners in the Arctic

Austin Felter

U.S. Arctic Insecurity: It’s time for a new strategy

ADVERTISEMENT

Taymyr

Frozen plans: building of far northern coal mine is halted by sanctions and Arctic ice

Storskog

“If they close the border, it will be unbearable.” What Russians think about the last open checkpoint

Northern republic

“What, you decided to go against Russians?” 18-year-old activist had to flee Russia after FSB interrogation

Northern Fleet

Deputy Commander of Russian Arctic brigades is killed in Ukraine

“It's a classic case of scapegoating”. Experts react to Russia’s ban of “LGBT movement”.

Holy battle

With a cross and a gun. Russian church at war

The ECHR awards compensation for inhumane conditions in Russian prisons

towards totalitarianism

Russia prepares law requiring foreigners to sign 'loyalty agreement'

PHOTOS See more

Barents Pride 2023

Quest for freedom and love. Norwegians and Russians gather in border town Kirkenes for Barents Pride.

VIDEOS See more

"This is sad. How are we sponsoring the war?" Russians react to Norway's entry ban for Russian cars

ADVERTISEMENT

K-564

Here comes Arkhangelsk, a submarine that will boost the Northern Fleet’s hypersonic missiles capabilities

Entire border closed

Raja-Jooseppi closes

Migrants retreat

Operation “Tour de Helsinki” became a complete failure, war blogger claims

Severomorsk

Across bay from main Russian Navy base could come oil terminal

Ny-Ålesund

World’s northernmost research settlement gets mobile phone service

Video report

Svalbard residents on the boycott of Russia, climate change, and search for a new sustainable energy source.

Northern opening

Tense at Raja-Jooseppi: Russia sends 55 migrants to Finnish border crossing point

Too far north

Norway nixes border surveillance helicopter despite "weaponized migration" from Murmansk

“Maybe he would be dead already, but it wouldn’t be so disgusting.” Instead of treatment, wounded soldiers from Ukraine war are forced back to the front or persecuted for refusing to fight

Migrant route

Murmansk Governor says migrants are starting to leave border-crossing points to Finland

Finland

Finland closes all but Raja-Jooseppi border crossing

Migrants

Russian Governor: "Humanitarian crisis is unfolding on border to Finland"

Finland asks EU border protection agency Frontex for help

Sodankylä

Finland suspects Russia jams GPS signals vital for weather balloons

Salla

FSB arranges transport to the border, motel in Kandalaksha claims

Zapadnaya Litsa

Northern Fleet eyes six Yasen submarines as Russia approves largest ever defence spending

Salla

Russia sends migrants on bicycles across Arctic border with Finland in -22°C

Stalin comeback

In chilly return to past, Putin names new icebreaker "Stalingrad"

ADVERTISEMENT

Barents Must-Reads

How Norway’s new P-8 Poseidon will counter Russia’s submarine threat in Arctic waters

As Finland and Sweden join NATO, Norfolk command beefs up readiness in alliance’s northern flank

Longread

Miners hunting for metals to battery cars threaten Sámi reindeer herders' homeland

Norway's celebration of Svalbard Treaty was followed by ardent and coordinated response from Moscow media

Photo story

Pasvik, the river that tells the High North

On patrol along its Arctic coast, Norway's relation with Russia is challenged between deterrence and reassurance

ADVERTISEMENT

He killed his drinking buddy with a stool and slept with a teenager. A school in the North Russian region of Komi will keep medals of the criminal turned “hero of the Special Military Operation”

relief initiative

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

witch-hunt

Moscow Times branded as a "foreign agent"

Arctic litter-monitoring project launches northernmost GPS capsule in Arctic Ocean

trafficking

Migrant flow from Russia moves north

New restrictions

Finland closes several border-crossing points to Russia

Education

Soon compulsory in Russian schools: military theory and drone flying

"Support us"

Marines from Russia's 'Kirkenes Brigade' praise pensioner who donated 500,000 rubles to new combat gear

"Russian tactics"

Finland suspects Moscow uses migrants to stir trouble on eastern border

Ice escape

The last convoy before the big freeze

Norilsk

Russian nickel miner wants nuclear power for Arctic plant

“We used to discuss cross-border issues with Russians at one table. Now it has stopped.” Reindeer herders in the north of Norway feel left out as cooperation with Russia shrinks.

Finland

Sámi knowledge helps developing climate policies

"Severny zavoz"

Three months after Moscow adopted law on goods deliveries to northern territories, a crisis looms in isolated Arctic settlements

Aground

Taken by storm, the "Aleksandr Gusev" becomes landmark wreckage on Barents Sea coast

High risk

Barge with 350 tons of fuel started drifting in Barents Sea after tugboat broke down

Saboteur ship

Newnew Polar Bear sails towards Bering Strait

Imperator Aleksandr III

Newest submarine launched Bulava missile from White Sea

ADVERTISEMENT

KV Bjørnøya

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

October

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

Arctic LNG 2

Few weeks before launch, Russia's biggest LNG project is put on U.S sanction list

Now this:

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

Political repressions

“They shot them in the head and threw them into dug-out pits”: The tragic story of American Finns who perished during Stalin's purges, and how history repeats itself in Russia today.

Guarding the spiritual bonds. North Russian region of Komi establishes a morals watchdog

"Russian hero"

School kids in Severomorsk honour Andrei Paliy, the deputy fleet commander killed in Ukraine

Pro-Kremlin activists stage a “patriotic” event near the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow

Diplomatic scandal

Russian Foreign Ministry summons Norway's Ambassador over incident at war memorial in Kirkenes

Wants access to ports

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

climate crisis

Arctic Permafrost Atlas offers insights into the North’s changing landscape

WANTED:

Runaway ship Newnew Polar Bear, suspected of sabotage in Baltic Sea, is sailing into Russian Arctic waters

intelligence

Space forces launched military satellites from Plesetsk

Memory war

Russian General Consul stirs strife by the war memorial in Kirkenes

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

Gunsight Nordic

With message to NATO neighbors, Russian corvette sails White Sea Canal and launches Kalibr cruise missile

Zaozersk

Nuclear submarine town honors warriors killed in Ukraine with large Z-memorial

2024 agreement

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

ADVERTISEMENT

Partners