Thomas Nilsen

Railway station gets 100-years anniversary upgrade

Refurbishment yes, but not all in the scale proposed before Russia’s current economic crisis.
May 27, 2016

Russia may be without aircraft carrier for 2-3 years

After a scheduled voyage to the Mediterranean, Murmansk-based “Admiral Kuznetsov” upgrade works will start.
May 27, 2016

Murmansk court turns down LGBT activist’s appeal

Sergey Alekseenko, former head of Foreign Agent branded NGO Maximum, has to pay the 100,000 rubles fine for violating the law against propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors.
May 27, 2016

New intelligence vessel for Barents Sea makes port call to Kirkenes

Packed with radar- and communication humps on the roof, the 125-meter long new “Marjata” came to Kirkenes Monday morning.
May 23, 2016

Sharp increase for warship exercises in Barents Sea

Submarines with Russia’s Northern fleet have completed more combat drills during the winter than anytime before in post-Soviet history.
May 21, 2016

Uranium fuel will be loaded before towing around Scandinavia

Russia’s first-ever floating nuclear power plant is scheduled to sail out of St. Petersburg towards Murmansk in October 2017.
May 19, 2016

Barents Sea drilling triggers "wealth creation"

“This is the start for real repercussions in the north,” says Kjell Giæver, Director of the supply network Petro Arctic.
May 19, 2016

Environmental groups: Barents oil violates Paris Climate Agreement

Nature and Youth, Greenpeace and Bellona all agree Norway's new Arctic oil licenses contradicts the obligations following the Paris Climate Agreement.
May 18, 2016

Border may get shorter opening hours in cost cutting effort

Finland’s Border Guard has to cut spending and considers limiting opening hours at Raja-Jooseppi and Salla.
May 18, 2016

Arctic security, climate and resources in focus at U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit

Relations with Russia was main focus, but meeting in the White House on Friday, the leaders agreed to strengthen work on the environmental challenges facing the Arctic.
May 14, 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