Thomas Nilsen

Four Russians arrested on suspicion of photographing classified object

For the third time in a week, police in northern Norway have detained Russian citizens for illegal photographing.
October 17, 2022

Visit Svalbard cuts ties with Russian tourism company

The decision to exclude Trust Arktikugol’s tourism branch is a direct protest against Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine.
October 16, 2022

Russia steps up military posturing in the Arctic ahead of NATO’s nuclear drill

The week ahead will not be an easy sleep for security observers. Numerous military watchouts in Russia's northwestern regions.
October 16, 2022

Police detains another Russian with drone and photos

A 51-year-old Russian citizen on his way to Svalbard was detained after photographing at Tromsø and Kirkenes airports.
October 15, 2022

Russian officials raised Navy flags in Svalbard waters

With a Soviet-era navy flag and the Russian national navy flag at the mast, Russian officials made their own Navy Day Parade in Norwegian waters at Barentsburg on July 31.
October 15, 2022

Norway limits access for Russian fishing vessels

Norway takes measures so Russian fishing vessels can't bring illegal, sanctioned products out of Europe. From now, port calls will only be allowed to Kirkenes, Tromsø and Båtsfjord. And every single ship will there be controlled.
October 06, 2022

Norway boosts defense spendings with priority up north

“We are strengthening facilities for the reception of, and training with, allied forces in northern Norway,” says Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram as he presented the 2023 budget at the Army’s border guard camp on the border with Russia.
October 06, 2022

Expelled Norwegian businessman is back in Murmansk

Atle Berge, the owner of Ølen Betong Murmansk, is back in business with a new visa and work permit to the country that six years ago expelled him on vague accusations of espionage.
October 06, 2022

Orthodox church from Severomorsk wanted to study Kirkenes water supply

They are friendship towns, but when the priests from the Russian Orthodox Church wanted to learn more about the drinking water facilities, the Mayor of Kirkenes had to put a stop to it.
October 05, 2022

Regional Council launches Lapland east-west railway study

Tourism, mining and forestry could all benefit from a new railway across Lapland, with possible extension to existing tracks via northern Sweden to Norway’s port of Narvik.
October 04, 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