Atle Staalesen

Closed military town on Kola coast loses lifeline to base

The 1,700 people of Ostrovnoy are isolated after the breakdown of their only ship connection to Murmansk
February 24, 2021

Journalist Svetlana Prokopeva wanted to understand the young terrorist from Arkhangelsk. She ended up in a brawl with the FSB

February 23, 2021

Arctic shipper shows off a historical icebreaking voyage

Watch two super-powerful vessels break their way through the Northern Sea Route in mid-winter.
February 19, 2021

Kremlin takes look at grand Arctic tourism project on border to Norway

The Governor of Murmansk sits down with Putin's top adviser to present the Liinakhamari Port initiative.
February 18, 2021

Moscow orders return to motherland of fish and fishermen

Trawlers will lose quotas unless they are customs declared in Russia, catch is to be processed in domestic plants and foreign investors might be kicked out of the industry.
February 17, 2021

Igor Sechin: New Arctic oil discoveries are world's biggest

The top Russian oilman says his company's three far northern finds were world's biggest in 2020. The international green shift will not hamper field development, he told President Putin.
February 16, 2021

It is mid-winter, but world's most powerful icebreaker lies idle in port

The brand new Arktika has not been sailing since the middle of December.
February 12, 2021

Ice cold winter on far northern coast, but nearby Arctic waters are record warm

Northern Russia and Scandinavia had the coldest January in years. Meanwhile, adjacent Arctic waters were up to 8 C° warmer than normal.
February 11, 2021

New Russian fighter jets on standby in upgraded Arctic air base

A first shift of crews and MiG-31BM takes place at the Rogachevo air field in Novaya Zemlya
February 08, 2021

Nornickel must pay €1.62 billion for its huge oil spill on Arctic tundra

More than 21,000 tons of diesel oil spilled into rivers, lakes and vulnerable wetlands. Now, the company has to pay the biggest fine ever issued in modern Russia.
February 05, 2021

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Atle is journalist and Publisher of the Independent Barents Observer.

In 2002, he founded the Barents Observer. He was editor until 2009 and later worked as journalist and project coordinator for several European cross-border cooperation projects. In late 2015, following a conflict over editorial rights, he re-established the Barents Observer as an independent and non-profit stock company along with the rest of the newspaper crew.  

Atle has a degree in Russian studies from the University of Oslo and studied journalism at the Moscow State University.

atle@thebarentsobserver.com
@atlestaalesen