Thomas Nilsen

Norwegian Customs lack overview of attempted smuggling of banned goods to Russia

While Finland, Estonia, Lativa, Lithuania and Poland start implementing common requirements and procedures for control over sanctioned goods on move to Russia doesn't non-EU member Norway even have statistics over attempted smuggling of wartime products.
August 20, 2024

Kola wildfire smoke drift into Nordic neighbours

Authorities in border regions of Norway and Finland are monitoring the situation but do currently not fear that Russia's northern wildfires will spread.
August 12, 2024

Longyearbyen sees first time ever above 20°C in August

Temperature records continue to fall across the Arctic. Svalbard airport Longyearbyen measured 20,3°C on Sunday.
August 12, 2024

Mayor wants to tear down Russian-initiated war monuments

“I want them removed as they are misused by sympathisers and Russian authorities,” says Vardø Mayor Tor-Erik Labahå.
August 02, 2024

Russia prisoner swap includes Tromsø university illegal Mikushin

A major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia is underway and includes Mikhail Mikushin, the GRU affiliated charged with espionage in Norway.
August 01, 2024

Increase in border-crossings

Traffic was up 22,7% in July compared with June, despite Norway’s decision this spring to deny entry for Russian citizens traveling on leisure and non-essential tours.
August 01, 2024

FSB searches home of well-known journalist Valery Potashov

FSB officers came to Potashov's apartement in Petrozavodsk and started to search early Thursday morning.
August 01, 2024

Putin doubles enlisting cash for meat grinder soldiers

Join the war against Ukraine and get a one-time payment 400,000 rubles (€4,268) a new decree from Putin says.
August 01, 2024

No air raid alarm triggered during drone attack, HUR says

Two Tu-22M3 were damaged and their repair will take months, says Andrii Yusov, spokesperson with the Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) to Radio Svoboda.
July 31, 2024

55 Russian indigenous, regional and ethno groups labeled as extremists

“The repressive machine is gathering momentum. The methods of persecution against indigenous rights activists are intensifying,” says the International committee of indigenous peoples of Russia after the Ministry on Justice added them and many more to the list of extremist organizations.
July 30, 2024

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Barents Observer. 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 Russia and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and NGOs. He has also been a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security, environment and Russia’s repressive influence operations.

In 2017, FSB declared Thomas Nilsen persona non grata (PNG) and since 2019 the censorship agency Roscomnadzor has attempted to block the Barents Observer from the Russian internet.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas