Thomas Nilsen

At this airport, passenger numbers jump fivefold in December

Christmas time is peak season for airports in northern Finland. Rovaniemi sees about 150.000 passengers in December compared with 30.000 in June.
December 26, 2019

Reactor No. 2 at Kola nuclear power plant gets 15-years extended license

The already 45 years old reactor will continue to run until 2034.
December 25, 2019

Sevmash floats out second Yasen-M class nuclear attack submarine

After the two previous 4th generation multi-purpose submarines experienced long delays in construction, Russia now seems to have gain speed at the shipyard in Severodvinsk.
December 25, 2019

Soviet mini-sub discovered in Jarfjord by Norwegian special forces in 1990

A former officer from the Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Northern Norway told about the surfacing submarine in a TV documentary by NRK about the Cold War.
December 23, 2019

Russia’s electronic warfare test causes radio- and radar disturbances in Norway

It is the Norwegian Intelligence Service that on Friday reports about the disturbances.
December 20, 2019

Norway helps pay for transporting old Russian navy nuclear waste

A shipment of 14 containers with spent nuclear fuel from Andreeva Bay to Atomflot in Murmansk took place this week.
December 20, 2019

First salmon train to China soon ready for departure from Narvik

With new transport technology, salmon sent by rail from northern Norway will still be fresh when arriving in Xi’an about ten days later.
December 19, 2019

Christmas tree lighted with first electricity from Arctic floating nuclear-power plant

At 11 am Moscow Times on December 19th, the “Akademik Lomonosov” delivered its first electricity to the grid in Pevek, Arctic Russia.
December 19, 2019

Russia’s top General indirectly confirms Arctic deployment of the unstoppable Kinzhal missile

MiG-31K fighter jets armed with the new Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile based at Kola, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya could in practice pose a threat it is not possible to defend against in the European Arctic, northern Scandinavia and North-Atlantic.
December 19, 2019

Norway considers size limitation on passenger ships sailing at Svalbard

The initiative, along with a ban on heavy fuel oil, is welcomed by both locals in Longyearbyen and Arctic expedition cruise operators.
December 17, 2019

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Independent Barents Observer with its news desk located in Kirkenes, northern Norway. He has a long experience in media cooperation across the borders in the high north of Europe, both as radio- and newspaper reporter all the way back to the days before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Nilsen has been editor of Barents Observer since 2009.

He was Deputy Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat from 2004-2009. Until 2003, he worked 12 years for the Bellona Foundation’s Russian study group, focusing on nuclear safety issues and general environmental challenges in northern areas and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and organizations. He is also a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security issues, environmental and socio-economic development.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas