Atle Staalesen

Iron miner LKAB reports hostile incidents to police

Only few days after someone vandalised company machinery, an armed person made it into one of the north Swedish iron miner's drill sites.
September 06, 2024

"People in Kirkenes understand that these are new times"

The small Norwegian town located near the border to Russia drills preparedness and crisis management. "We know what kind of neighbour we have," leader of the Civil Defence force in Kirkenes says.
September 04, 2024

Russian lawmaker wants to build prison for 'terrorists' at Svalbard

Member of Parliament Ivan Sukharev proposes to establish a high-security jail in the Norwegian archipelago.
September 03, 2024

World's biggest underwater methane hotspot is found off Barents Sea coast

In the central parts of the Barents Sea, near the Norwegian-Russian maritime border, researchers find an area with massive methane seepage from the sea floor.
September 02, 2024

On eve of school start, education leaders hail military instructors

During his visit to Murmansk, Russia's First Deputy Minister of Enlightenment Aleksandr Bugaev was introduced to the weaponry applied by regional training center Voin. The center is closely cooperating with regional authorities in "patriotic education" of teenagers.
September 02, 2024

The Johan Castberg oil ship is on its way to Norway's new Arctic field

The 300 meter long FPSO will before year's end be ready to give a boost to the country's oil production in Arctic waters. Project operator Equinor is now building a comprehensive security and preparedness system for the southwestern parts of the Barents Sea.
August 30, 2024

On this graveyard in Murmansk rest 165 warriors killed in Ukraine

A special section has been established in one of the Murmansk city cemeteries to get space for the many young men killed in the war of aggression.
August 29, 2024

Chinese icebreaker makes port call in Murmansk

The Russian Arctic region actively seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing. This week, a Chinese icebreaker for the first time paid a visit to Murmansk.
August 29, 2024

Web of sanctions tightens around Nornickel

More than ten companies associated with the Russian mining and metallurgy giant are included in the U.S list of sanctions.
August 28, 2024

Washington smokes out Moscow's "invisible" Arctic tankers

The shady fleet of carriers that this summer picked up natural gas from Russia's new terminal in the Gulf of Ob has been placed on the latest U.S. sanctions list.
August 27, 2024

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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