Atle Staalesen

A month after environmental disaster comes another major oil spill on Taymyr tundra

At least 45 tons of jet fuel leaks into the ground from a pipeline owned and operated by Nornickel.
July 12, 2020

More than 30 Russian naval vessels open fire in large-scale Barents Sea war games

With nuclear-powered battle cruiser "Pyotr Veliky" at the helm, the Northern Fleet starts its biggest exercise this year.
July 09, 2020

Arctic shipments to Asia grow as LNG carriers shuttle to eastern markets

Two weeks after it completed a record-early delivery to China via the Northern Sea Route, natural gas carrier "Christophe de Margerie" returns to natural gas terminal Sabetta on westbound voyage.
July 07, 2020

Submarine base welcomes new most lethal vessel

The "Knyaz Vladimir" arrives in Gadzhievo in the Kola Peninsula.
July 07, 2020

On Nenets tundra reverberates sound of anti-Kremlin dissent

The small and oil-rich Nenets Autonomous Okrug is the only region in Russia that voted against Putin's constitutional reform.
July 03, 2020

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

The 100-year anniversary of the international agreement has been accompanied by mounting Russian government pressure and a wave of repulsive coverage in Russian media.
July 02, 2020

Northern Fleet gets first new Arctic research vessel in more than 20 years

The "Nikolay Skosyrev" is to survey Arctic waters.
June 29, 2020

No drop in curve in COVID-cases for Russia's top oil and gas region

Commuting industry workers have boosted infection rates, and the far northern Yamal Nenets Autonomous Okrug is now among the regions with the highest number of new cases.
June 29, 2020

Two Chinese rigs prepare for drilling in Russian Arctic waters

It is the fourth year in a row that Chinese oilmen explore the far northern Kara Sea.
June 29, 2020

Arctic oilmen put their eyes on protected land

Oil company Rosneft intends to drill for oil in a protected nature reserve in the far northern Taymyr peninsula.
June 26, 2020

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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