Thomas Nilsen

Moscow bans more EU officials from entering

The Foreign Ministry says the move is a tit-for-tat response after the European Union before Christmas adopted a set of restrictive measures against the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company.
February 01, 2022

Finland reopens border for Schengen and EU travelers

The entry requirements introduced late last year will be lifted from February 1.
January 31, 2022

Murmansk tightens COVID-19 restrictions while Norway eases them

The two neighboring regions in the north take opposite directions on how to handle the record spike in new virus cases.
January 31, 2022

Hammerfest LNG delays restart to mid-May

Operational restrictions caused by the pandemic forces Equinor to delay start-up of its fire-hit processing plant in northernmost Norway to 17 May.
January 31, 2022

U.S. Air Force trained refueling over northern Finland

Lapland Air Force based in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle conducted air refueling as part of Finland’s International exercise activities.
January 30, 2022

Northern Fleet backs off after Irish fishermen vow to block drill

Russia tells authorities in Dublin that a planned exercise will be moved out of Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
January 30, 2022

€730,000 Barents fund launched to strengthen cooperation, including democracy, grassroots and media freedom

In times of growing east-west tensions, a new door opens to finance practical projects between Europe’s northernmost countries and Russia.
January 28, 2022

Northern Fleet stages war games to protect Arctic shipping

The Barents Sea naval exercise will train coordinated combat actions between ships, submarines, aircraft, air defense units and garrisons of Russia’s largest fleet.
January 26, 2022

Russian warships steam from Arctic storm to exercise in Irish waters

As fears grow about a military conflict in Ukraine and escalating security turmoil in Europe, three of the largest navy ships in Russia’s Northern Fleet are currently sailing outside northern Norway on their way to war games southwest of Ireland.
January 25, 2022

Amid record Covid-19 cases in both countries, Norway ends mandatory entry quarantine for travelers from Russia

Cross-border shopping and leisure travel could again get a boost after nearly two years of practically closed border for normal people between Russia and Norway in the north.
January 25, 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