Thomas Nilsen

Norway expands Arctic oil drilling while CO2 levels in atmosphere reach new peak

Strongly criticized by environmental groups, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announces 56 new blocks in the Barents Sea.
May 09, 2018

University of Tromsø gets NATO support to hybrid warfare study

How resilient are civilians to hybrid warfare and how to act in crises? A research project will include case studies from four countries vulnerable to hybrid warfare, including Norway.
May 02, 2018

Northern Fleet submarine Kursk’s sister will sail through Scandinavian waters

For the second year in a row a giant Russian nuclear powered submarine will sail to the naval parade in St. Petersburg.
April 29, 2018

Cold War heritage secured, but now comes new wave of maritime reactors

The floating nuclear power plant «Akademik Lomonosov» now under tow towards Murmansk marks the start of a comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy in the Russian Arctic. New submarines, surface warships, icebreakers, seabed- and onshore mini-reactors as well as nuclear-powered military weapons are all queuing up in record speed. The Barents Observer gives you the overview.
April 27, 2018

Russia plans to lay trans-Arctic fiber cable linking military installations

Starting in Severomorsk on the Kola Peninsula, the fiber-optic line will provide state-of-the art tele- and data communication to all military bases and installations across the Arctic to Vladivostok.
April 24, 2018

From FSB’s Lefortovo prison sounds a whining song from the Barents region

Singer Vladimir Martynenko from Murmansk used to tour neighbouring Scandinavia with Russian ballades about faith and love. He was arrested and spent more than 2 years in Lefortovo after refusing to cooperate with the Federal Security Service.
April 24, 2018

Toxic gas postpones drilling on border to Russia

No drilling for Aker BP in 2018 as risk of toxic and flammable hydrogen sulfide in the ground needs to be checked out.
April 24, 2018

Lawyer: Spy-accused Frode Berg does not plead guilty, but admits being courier

Norwegian officials keep silent about the former border inspector’s alleged connections with the military intelligence service.
April 23, 2018

FSB starts detaining Jehovah’s Witnesses on Kola, dozens flee to Finland

Criminal cases are initiated after FSB and Rosgvardia raided six addresses in the closed navy town of Polyarny.
April 20, 2018

Hurtigruten goes hybrid-electric

At least six vessels to get new gas-powered engines supported by batteries. Environmentalists call for other Arctic cruise-liner to follow.
April 20, 2018

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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