Thomas Nilsen

Greenpeace activists released after oil-protest

Six activists, including the captain of «Arctic Sunrise», have been fined for violating the safety zone around the Norwegian oil-rig in the Barents Sea.
August 21, 2017

Syrian citizen arrested in attempt to cross border to Norway

FSB Border Guards detained the man after he climbed through the barbed wire fence.
August 21, 2017

Mysterious forest flash was failed test of new nuclear missile

Remember the huge circular impact zone in the forest outside Arkhangelsk last August? Well, now it is confirmed to be the first test launch of Russia’s new Yars-M intercontinental ballistic missile.
August 21, 2017

Chinese icebreaker navigates across central Arctic

On Monday, «Xue Long» is doing research in the Norwegian Sea, sailing a back-and-forth pat half-way between Bjørnøya and Jan Mayen.
August 21, 2017

With sulfuric acid production started, sulfur dioxide emission drops in border area

«Production of sulfuric acid from copper-nickel ore is unprofitable, but we are going to do it because we are not only working here, we are living here,» says Alexey Tyukin, Technical Director of Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company.
August 18, 2017

Watch Russian submarine test fire cruise missile in Barents Sea

The Northern Fleet has released video of the Kalibr missile launch from the nuclear-powered submarine «Severodvinsk».
August 18, 2017

Norwegian Coast Guard tows «Arctic Sunrise» to Tromsø

Greenpeace vessel and crew of 35 arrested after protesters violated the safety zone around Statoil’s rig at the Korpfjell field in the Barents Sea.
August 18, 2017

Icebreaker reached North Pole in record speed

Thin ice and powerful reactors; Russian icebreaker «50 let pobedy» made it from Murmansk to the top of the world in just 79 hours.
August 17, 2017

20 million seabirds in Barents Sea - Greenpeace protests northernmost oil drilling

This photo shows how exposed seabirds are to a potential oil-spill, says the Greenpeace activists that entered the exclusive zone of Statoil’s oil rig on Thursday.
August 17, 2017

Murmansk Transport Hub lacks cash to complete railway

With a budget deficit of 23 billion rubles, Russia’s new gateway to the Arctic could be delayed.
August 17, 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