Thomas Nilsen

Cold weather perfect to pioneer electric aviation says Finnair and signs intention to purchase 20 battery planes

The Swedish-developed 19-seater ES-19 electric aircraft for short-haul routes could be ready for take-off with passengers by 2026.
March 30, 2021

Busy day for Russian military in the skies above Arctic

MiG-31BM on five hours North Pole mission, Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance flight along the coast of Norway south to the North Sea, and Tu-160 strategic bombers flying over the Barents-, and Norwegian Seas. All on the same day as the Northern Fleet launched an Arctic strategic command and staff training exercise in Severomorsk.
March 30, 2021

Norwegian frigate on patrol close to Kola Peninsula

"KNM Thor Heyerdahl" will maintain presence and preparedness in the north in the times ahead.
March 29, 2021

Three nuclear ballistic missile subs surfaced simultaneously through the ice in complex Russian Arctic exercise

Exercise Umka-21 is Russia’s most complex military drill in the high Arctic, involving fighter jets, torpedo shootings and Arctic brigade soldiers training warfare on Franz Josef Land.
March 26, 2021

As Suez Canal blockage continues, Aker Arctic presents icebreaking container ship for top of the world route

This new Arctic containership can manage year-around sailing along Russia's Northern Sea Route and is in the current market situation only slightly more costly than the much larger Suez Canal open water vessels.
March 26, 2021

Extensive reconstruction drawn up for Murmansk fishery port

A brand new terminal will be built on an artificially created land, while the existing berths of the fishery port will get a large-scale upgrade.
March 26, 2021

Northern Fleet frigate fired missile at target on Novaya Zemlya as British reconnaissance aircraft was watching

Russia new frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" on Thursday fired a Oniks cruise missile from the waters outside the Kola Peninsula. Two of the Northern Fleet's logistics support ships were in position west of Novaya Zemlya to monitor the missile's path.
March 25, 2021

Making fun of Suez traffic jam, Rosatom promotes Russia's Arctic route as an alternative

In a twitter thread, Russia's State Nuclear Energy Corporation makes big fun of the trouble for global shipping caused by the wedged cargo ship in the Suez canal and uses the opportunity highlight benefits of sailing the Northern Sea Route route between Asia and Europe.
March 25, 2021

Walking in snow, Egyptians arrested for attempted illegal border crossing

A criminal case is opened against a Syrian citizen suspected of organizing the mid-winter walk inside the Russian border-zone.
March 24, 2021

Norway's new subs especially designed for covert, shallow water operations

Four German-built submarines of the U212CD class will be delivered to the Norwegian Navy from 2029 at a cost of more than €1 billion per vessel.
March 24, 2021

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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