Thomas Nilsen

Northern Fleet kicks off large Barents-Arctic naval exercise

Surface warships, submarines and aviation are involved in waters from the Kola Peninsula to Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. One shooting area overlaps into Norwegian exclusive economic zone north of the Varanger fjord.
August 18, 2022

UK denies violation of Russian airspace over the Barents Sea

“The UK aircraft was in communication with Russian civilian air traffic control and its crew operated in a safe and professional manner,” a Ministry of Defense spokesperson told media in London.
August 17, 2022

Russia accuses British spy plane of violating airspace north of Kola Peninsula

A British RC-135 with equipment to collect real-time electronic intelligence data was forced out of Russian airspace by a MiG-31, the Defense Ministry in Moscow claims. Norwegian Defense analyst doubts that that the plane was inside Russian air space.
August 16, 2022

Russian fishermen violated shore leave regulations, took the skiff towards area with military restrictions

Crew members from Murmansk-based trawler “Melkart-5” is fined by police after they lowered a small boat on the water and left the harbor area in Kirkenes. Norway is the only EU-associated country allowing Russian fishing vessels to make port calls.
August 15, 2022

Polar bear shot dead after attacking tourist

The victim, a French tourist, was hospitalised after attacked by a polar bear at Svalbard Monday morning.
August 08, 2022

Russia warns of rocket splashdown north of Svalbard

Watch out on August 9th as Russian is to launch a cluster of satellites, including one for Iran aimed to spy at military targets.
August 08, 2022

Russian subs outside Norway

The two Northern Fleet nuclear-powered submarines "Severodvinsk" and "Vepr" are sailing interfleet transit back north to the Kola Peninsula.
August 07, 2022

Haavisto: Finland to limit tourist visas for Russians

Finland is set to review its policy of granting tourist visas to Russians citizens, the country’s foreign minister Pekka Haavisto says after many politicians have called for tightening rules sparked by the onslaught on Ukraine.
August 06, 2022

Pro-war ‘Z’ stickers on Norway’s diplomatic cars

When the diplomats woke up in the morning on July 4th, both of the Norwegian Consulate General’s CD-plated cars were tagged with ‘Z’ stickers on the back.
August 05, 2022

Border traffic more than doubled after Russia relaxed Covid restrictions

Norway and Finland are the only two European countries with direct borders to Russia that continue to issue tourist visas to bonafide travelers. Norway, though, is the only country maintaining local border traffic agreement, including for family members of soldiers fighting the war on Ukraine.
August 02, 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