Atle Staalesen

Murmansk declares State of Emergency

Russia's biggest Arctic region and home to the country's most powerful military force is in crisis after the collapse of a railway bridge.
June 12, 2020

Warning from eco inspectors: more tundra oil reservoirs could collapse

The Russian Environmental Control Authority calls on Nornickel and its subsidiary Norilsk Taymyr Energy Company to close down a major fuel storage park and empty the reservoirs of diesel oil.
June 12, 2020

National Security Chief sounds the alarm: foreigners might use tundra oil spill to defame Russia

It plays into the hands of the ones that want to discredit Russian Arctic policy, says Nikolay Patrushev.
June 11, 2020

Supreme Court to decide in landmark climate case against Arctic Oil in November

The verdict will have either have fatal or fantastic consequences for our future, the environmentalists say.
June 10, 2020

Norway seeks way out of crisis, invests in more oil

Amid strong warnings from environmentalists, the Norwegian Parliament decides to pump great sums into a support-package for the country's oil industry. Tax benefits are to help the oilmen launch new projects, including in the Arctic.
June 09, 2020

New corona-hospital in Murmansk is built in only 2 weeks, now ready to treat 700 patients

Nowhere in the country has a hospital been erected this quickly, regional authorities say.
June 08, 2020

Big clean-up after the catastrophe, but spilled oil will be removed from Taymyr tundra only next winter

Thousands of tons of spilled diesel oil are being pumped into special containers placed along affected rivers and creeks. The substances will be removed from the desolate area only after the tundra freezes next winter.
June 08, 2020

Missile hits target in test launch near border to Russia

The Norwegian forces based in Kirkenes for the first time conduct live fire exercise with a Javelin anti-tank missile. The training is part of Norway's buildup of military capacities in the North.
June 07, 2020

Environmental catastrophe is declared as one of biggest ever Arctic oil spills stretches out over Taymyr tundra

Large territories of rivers, streams and tundra lands are covered by more than 20 thousands tons of diesel oil from a reservoir owned by company Nornickel. The catastrophe was reported to the authorities only two days after the spill and nobody really knows how to clean up.
June 04, 2020

Tremendous transport trouble for Murmansk as key railway bridge collapses

The regional governor says the bridge connection that carries a major share of all goods supplies to the Russian Arctic city can not be rebuilt before October.
June 03, 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