Thomas Nilsen

Arctic’s most dangerous Cold War legacy soon to be removed

Workers are about to complete the handling infrastructure for partly damaged spent nuclear fuel at Russia’s Andreeva Bay.
October 26, 2016

Iceland’s Pirate Party leads polls few days before elections

Like the eruption from Eyjafjallajökull shocked air-traffic across Europe in 2010, Iceland today experiences a political earthquake where the Pirate Party is on course for historic election win.
October 25, 2016

Deep-sea sub carrier on test-voyage in White Sea

30 years old Russian missile submarine converted to carry mini-submarines for Arctic research sailed out from Severodvinsk this weekend.
October 23, 2016

Norway votes against ban on dumping mining waste at sea

This is how a fjord on the Barents Sea coast looks like when filled up with mining waste. Russia and China now call for ban on such marine waste disposal.
October 22, 2016

New mega-port in Arkhangelsk with Chinese investments

Deep-water port will link Komi Republic and the Urals with world markets.
October 21, 2016

Hurtigruten doesn’t fear overcapacity in Arctic cruise business

Ten new luxury purpose-built polar class vessels are under construction by various cruise-liners.
October 20, 2016

Barents Encyclopedia is published

10 years of fact writing is now available between four covers.
October 20, 2016

Brende invites Lavrov for Arctic talks in Tromsø

But the Norwegian Foreign Minister has no plans himself to visit Moscow.
October 19, 2016

Groundbreaking lawsuit filed against Norway over Arctic oil drilling

Environmental groups Nature & Youth and Greenpeace argue that Barents Sea oil must remain in ground if Norway should fulfill its Paris climate deal obligations.
October 18, 2016

Russia’s biggest warships steam along coast of Norway towards Syria

More than 4,000 navy soldiers now sail south along coast of Norway in a maneuver not seen since the Cold War.
October 18, 2016

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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