Thomas Nilsen

62 soldiers on Norway’s border to Russia infected with Corona

Sharp increase after the conscripts returned from New Year's leave. All infected are isolated to avoid further spread.
January 14, 2022

In times of tensions, high north commanders maintain hotline to avoid misunderstandings

As a week of high-profile diplomacy between Russia and the West ended in deadlock, a way more successful Commander-to-Commander meeting in the high north went under the radar of attention.
January 14, 2022

"Sibir" sails maiden voyage around Scandinavia

The giant nuclear-powered icebreaker now heads towards Murmansk to pick up supplies before starting to work along the Northern Sea Route.
January 13, 2022

Two NATO carrier groups will sail north for exercise Cold Response

As Russia deploys the new 3M22 Tsirkon anti-ship hypersonic missile in the Barents Sea, NATO has decided to send two of its most potent naval weapons to the Norwegian-led Exercise Cold Response, the aircraft carriers "HMS Prince of Wales" and the "USS Harry S Truman".
January 13, 2022

US nuclear subs makes port call in Tromsø to collect supplies

The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine "USS Washington" is armed with cruise missiles and is tasked to patrol northern waters where Russian submarines sail out from the Kola Peninsula.
January 11, 2022

Disruption at one of two undersea cables to Svalbard

There is no redundant between the Arctic archipelago and mainland Norway after loss of power in the area where the fiberoptic cable follows the seabed down to a depth of 2,700 meters in the Greenland Sea.
January 09, 2022

Northern Fleet sub hit British frigate’s sonar

"What the f*** did I just hit?" a crew member onboard "HMS Northumberland" shouted as the Russian submarine crashed into the frigate's towed sonar.
January 07, 2022

Russia’s nuclear submarine construction reaches post-Soviet high

There are currently 13 nuclear-powered submarines under construction in Severodvinsk, plus the modernization of the large battle-cruiser Admiral Nakhimov.
January 06, 2022

Norwegian seafood exports hit record highs

Norway’s export of seafood in 2021 was equivalent of 42 million meals every day of the year.
January 05, 2022

Lowest number of border crossings since Soviet times

Record low number of travelers across the Norwegian-Russian border came as no surprise. 2021 was totally dominated by travel restrictions caused by the pandemic.
January 05, 2022

Pages

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