Thomas Nilsen

The heat is on

Arctic heatwave: People in Longyearbyen woke up Monday morning to 20 °C warmer than average for February.
February 06, 2017

Two years with half of seats empty, now bigger plane takes over

Jet plane will fly the only east-west cross-border route in northern Scandinavia.
February 03, 2017

Norway teams up with Germany for new submarines

A few years back, Norway considered dropping the submarine force. Then, the security picture in the north changed.
February 03, 2017

Norway’s PST says Russian intelligence targets individuals

Russian espionage is the No. 1 threat according to the Police Security Service’s annual assessment.
February 03, 2017

Russia details Barents military plane spotting

Norwegian submarine hunter was spotted 100 times near Russia’s border last year.
February 01, 2017

Norway summons Ambassador after visa denial

Highly regrettable that Parliament members are not given opportunity to visit Russia, says Foreign Minister Børge Brende.
February 01, 2017

Norwegian parliamentarians cancel visit to Moscow

Last spring, Anniken Huitfeldt visited Nikel in the Russian north. Now, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence makes last-minute cancellation to Moscow after two of the members were denied visa.
February 01, 2017

EU wants ban on heavy fuel in Arctic

European Union considers to prohibit the use and carriage of heavy-fuel oil for vessels calling at EU ports.
February 01, 2017

Rosatomflot steps up North Pole nuclear cruises

Russia’s largest nuclear powered icebreaker to sail five cruises per season until 2019.
January 31, 2017

NATO frigates shadow Kuznetsov battle group heading north

Russian navy’s two largest warships scheduled for port-call to Severomorsk on February 8th
January 30, 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