Thomas Nilsen

Yakunin remains in custody

An appeal court judgment dismisses the ruling by the district court in Tromsø to release Andrey Yakunin. The Russian, British businessman whose father is a Putin ally remains in arrest until November 29.
November 04, 2022

Russian navy now has six submarines capable of launching Bulava-missiles

The latest Borei-A submarine "Generalissimo Suvorov" on Thursday successfully launched a Bulava ballistic missile from the White Sea that hit a target at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
November 03, 2022

US aircraft flew Norwegian airspace on surveillance mission outside Russia's nuclear sub bases

Norway’s reassurance policy towards Russia has for the most followed a practice that allied intelligence missions to airspace outside the Kola Peninsula should not take off, land, or fly over Norwegian airspace. On Wednesday, a U.S. Air Force plane was indeed inside Norwegian airspace, both before and after the flight aimed to monitor Russia's military forces from above the eastern Barents Sea.
November 02, 2022

EU agrees on end-date for combustion-engines vehicles

There is no room for new sales of petrol, gas, or diesel-powered cars in Europe after 2035, as the European Union has reached an agreement to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
October 30, 2022

Rovaniemi gets seven new flight connections to European cities

Post-pandemic travel is on rise for winter destinations in northern Finland with a wide range of new direct flights from all over Europe to Ivalo, Kittilä and Rovaniemi.
October 30, 2022

Son of Kursk submarine sailor killed in Ukraine war

25-year-old Danis Ishmuratov was the son of Fanis Ishmuratov, one of the 118 sailors killed when the "Kursk" submarine exploded in the Barents Sea in August 2000.
October 29, 2022

Spy suspected Tromsø researcher José (37) is GRU-linked Mikhail (44)

Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) har charged Mikhail Mikushin with gathering illegal intelligence while working under fake identity at UiT Arctic University of Norway.
October 29, 2022

This was Andrey Yakunin Svalbard adventure before arrested

The son of ex-Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakunin admits he flew a drone at Svalbard but for the public to know the purposes, he now shares insights from the expedition to the Barents Observer.
October 27, 2022

Russia tested all legs of nuclear triad over the Arctic

Ballistic missiles were launched both from a nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea and from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region towards the Kura range on Kamchatka. Cruise missiles were launched toward targets in the Komi Republic from strategic bombers.
October 26, 2022

Norway, Russia seal deal on fish quotas amid growing tensions

Cod quotas for 2023 will be 20% lower, a decision made on recommendations from marine researchers in the two countries.
October 26, 2022

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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