Thomas Nilsen

Norway says Russia's mock attack on Vardø radar troubles stability in the north

«Such behavior does not promote good neighborly relations.»
March 13, 2018

Statoil expands feedstock for Hammerfest LNG

Five billion kroner will be invested to secure a supply of another 21 billion cubic meters of gas.
March 13, 2018

Attempted illegal border crossing

Just a week after two Syrians were detained on the border to Norway, Russian border guards stopped two more.
March 11, 2018

Norwegian - Russian cooperation key to save lives as wave of new cruise ships sail north

Worst-case nightmare is fire on a cruise vessel at 80° North with people in the water far, far away from nearest assistance. Norway and Russia now team up to coordinate available Arctic resources.
March 09, 2018

NATO subs kick off North Pole exercise

Under-ice navigation and torpedo exercises will last for the next five weeks.
March 08, 2018

Record low February Arctic sea ice

A wedge of open water formed north of Svalbard and well into the Arctic Ocean in late February, satellite images show.
March 06, 2018

Russian bombers simulated an attack against this radar on Norway's Barents Sea coast

Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service discloses information about Russian offensive exercises against targets in northern Norway.
March 05, 2018

Russia's counterintelligence discovered Frode and 468 others

Spy hunters revealed an increase in foreign intelligence activity last year, President Putin said on Monday.
March 05, 2018

Baby girl saves mother from roof avalanche

18 months girl holds her mother’s arm and starts to walk backwards. Like she knew something dangerous was coming in the air.
March 04, 2018

More migrants put pressure on Russian-Norwegian border

Two Syrians got through the barbed wire fence on Friday, but where detained after 200 meters running in the snow.
March 03, 2018

Pages

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