Thomas Nilsen

Arctic Race of Norway unveils route across top of mainland Europe

Running from August 16 to 19, the world’s northernmost professional bicycle race offers stunning Arctic wilderness scenic backdrops.
January 08, 2018

Norway serves the world 36 million meals of seafood every day

2017 became all time high for export of seafood from Norway’s Arctic waters.
January 08, 2018

Environmentalists lose climate lawsuit over Arctic oil drilling

Oslo District Court on Thursday ruled that Norway’s drilling for oil in the Barents Sea does not violate a constitutional right to a healthy environment.
January 04, 2018

Russia, Norway border traffic up 12,6% in 2017

But the number of border crossings is still 17% lower than the peak year of 2013.
January 03, 2018

World’s largest nuclear submarine breaks the ice

Russia’s 36-years old Typhoon submarine «Dmitry Donskoy» crushes the sea ice in the White Sea.
December 28, 2017

Russia tested most deadly nuke-missile

After postponed several times, a ejection test of the Sarmat (SS-X-30) took place at Plesetsk on Wednesday.
December 28, 2017

FSB eases border zone access

Application processing time for foreigners entering Russia’s border zone will be reduced to «only» one month in advance.
December 28, 2017

Governor Orlov confirms China as key Arctic partner

Chinese investments in railway and deep-sea port will change greatly transportation infrastructure in the Russian Arctic, the Arkhangelsk Governor says.
December 28, 2017

Border region launches Rovaniemi - Murmansk as third Arctic railway alternative

Eastern Lapland municipality assembly argues a railway into Russia would also make access to China.
December 21, 2017

New submarines, high precision missiles top priority in Putin’s new 10-years armaments program

«If we want to lead the way, if we want to win, we must be the best,» the President says.
December 20, 2017

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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