Atle Staalesen

First train crosses new bridge to western side of Kola Bay

It is a historical moment for Murmansk, regional governor Andrei Chibis underlined as Vladimir Putin declared the new infrastructure object for opened.
December 18, 2023

Chaotic on Finnish border as travellers rush to cross before closure

Huge lines and hours of waiting for the people trying to make it across the Russian-Finnish border ahead of today's indefinite closure. Among the travellers is also a big number of migrants without valid travel documents to Finland.
December 15, 2023

Crowd of migrants gets ready for border-crossing to Finland

As soon as Finland announced the reopening of its border to Russia, migrants started to move towards the border-crossing points. Videos show a significant number of migrants preparing to cross the border from Russia to Finland by bicycle.
December 14, 2023

Putin in Arkhangelsk: Arctic industry and infrastructure on agenda

The Russian ruler gathered the governors of all Arctic regions for a talk about big projects. Among them is a nuclear power station in the north Siberian village of Ust-Kuiga.
December 12, 2023

The Chechens ran Russia's show at COP28

Climate calamity looms, but Moscow's participation at the COP28 will be remembered for its unfaltering support for fossil fuels and the key role of Chechen strongmen.
December 12, 2023

Moscow aims for another grab: Navy Chief says Russia will expand into Arctic Ocean

Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov underlines that it is a national priority for Russia to make a "full-scale takeover" of Arctic territories beyond the country's 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
December 07, 2023

As Norway's climate negotiators talk emission cuts at COP28, the country sends another oil rig to its remote Arctic waters

On the 8th day of the UN Climate Conference, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate approved a new round of oil drilling in the Barents Sea.
December 07, 2023

Four North Swedish bases included in new deal with U.S

A comprehensive Defence Cooperation Agreement between Sweden and the US marks historical milestone in Nordic security. Seventeen base areas are included in the deal, among them four in the north of the country.
December 06, 2023

Wives of naval troopers pose in Zapolyarny photo shoot

A national initiative on photographing wives and mothers of warriors fighting in Ukraine made it to the military towns located along the border to Norway and Finland
December 06, 2023

Frozen plans: building of far northern coal mine is halted by sanctions and Arctic ice

The Syradasayskoye coal mine was to produce several million tons of of high-quality coal already in 2024. But developer Severnaya Zvezda does not have any of the vessels needed for shipping through the thick Arctic sea-ice.
December 05, 2023

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Atle is journalist and Publisher of the Independent Barents Observer.

In 2002, he founded the Barents Observer. He was editor until 2009 and later worked as journalist and project coordinator for several European cross-border cooperation projects. In late 2015, following a conflict over editorial rights, he re-established the Barents Observer as an independent and non-profit stock company along with the rest of the newspaper crew.  

Atle has a degree in Russian studies from the University of Oslo and studied journalism at the Moscow State University.

atle@thebarentsobserver.com
@atlestaalesen