Atle Staalesen

The Barents Observer is now blocked in Russia

A Moscow rat race against the independent Norwegian newspaper leads to its closure on Russian territory.
February 19, 2019

Go to Murmansk, Visit Chechnya

A tourism information center supported by Chechen authorities is due to open in downtown Murmansk.
February 15, 2019

Norway has full supremacy over Svalbard snow crabs, Supreme Court rules

The Svalbard Treaty does not prevent Norway from punishing companies that engage in catch without permission, the judges say.
February 14, 2019

18 million tons of coal seek a way out of Murmansk

New investors join efforts in the projected Lavna coal terminal.
February 14, 2019

Equinor’s much-expected Barents super well is dry

The Norwegian company found no oil in the well located few kilometers from the border to Russia.
February 12, 2019

Beijing finds a Chinatown on Norway’s Arctic coast

The Asian superpower looks towards the Arctic and finds a home in this year’s Barents Spektakel winter festival.
February 12, 2019

New more powerful tank rolls into Northern Fleet garrisons

The modernised T-80BVM is the tank best suited for Arctic operations, the Northern Fleet says.
February 08, 2019

Deputy Premier steps up support for Novatek’s Arctic shipments

The company must be allowed to continue LNG shipping with foreign-built tankers, Yuri Trutnev says.
February 08, 2019

Nornickel promises halt in death clouds

Sulphur dioxid gas still lies thick over over the nickel plants located along the border to Norway. But there are now major emission cuts in the making, the company says.
February 07, 2019

Northern Fleet fears saboteurs, steps up protection of surface vessels

A new unit is established for guarding and protection of the vessels based in the Kola Peninsula.
February 05, 2019

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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