The Barents Observer

"Veteran protester." Andrei Trofimov is described as a "veteran of Moscow's protest movement." He is behind bars in Karelia. Andrei Trofimov, a political prisoner who is serving a 13-year sentence in the strict-regime IK-9 Penal Colony in Karelia, has not been heard from since April. He has stopped responding to letters, has made no phone calls, and has not been allowed to meet with a lawyer. The disappearance was reported by journalist and television presenter Vladimir Raevsky.

Meeting in Moscow. Andrei Chibis and Andrei Melnichenko Only a few days after publishing an essay in The Economist calling for Western restraint in the war in Ukraine, the billionaire UAE-based businessman met with the governor of Murmansk to discuss seaports and mining on the Kola Peninsula. Andrei Melnichenko is Russia’s seventh-richest and the world’s 133rd-richest person, according to Forbes. A significant part of his fortune has been made on the Kola Peninsula.

"State of emergency." The people of Arkhangelsk face extraordinary hardships, regional authorities warn. Lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party in the north Russian Arkhangelsk region have appealed to the federal government for emergency financial assistance, acknowledging that the regional budget lacks the funds needed to keep residents warm through the winter.

The changes will take effect from July 2026 and mark the completion of a major restructuring of Nornickel’s precious metals production chain. The company is transferring processing of copper anode slime calcine — an intermediate product from which precious metals are extracted — from its Copper Plant in Norilsk to the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company (Kola MMC) in Monchegorsk. As a result, all of Nornickel’s palladium concentrate will be produced in the Murmansk region.

By: Jon Schärer // Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research Arctic quality Arctic quality refers to characteristics of food grown or produced under Arctic conditions, such as cold climate and unique light conditions. These natural conditions can influence the appearance, texture, taste, and nutritional content of food. The term can also encompass social factors, culture, and tradition.

From university to war. The federal university in Arkhangelsk is sending students to war and producing military drones. After the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU) in Arkhangelsk immediately set a course towards supporting the war. The federal university in Arkhangelsk is closely involved in Russia's war efforts.

The Severniy Polus was escorted by nuclear icebreaker Arktika from the Greenland Sea to the Barents Sea. It was reportedly the first time that a Russian nuclear icebreaker operated in the Greenland Sea. After 21 months of drifting across the Arctic Ocean, Russia’s Severny Polus (North Pole) research station was this week escorted out of the ice. After almost two years of drifting with the currents through deep Arctic sea ice, the Severny Polus (IMO 9884198) has been led to open waters.

Queen Sonja was not present at the royal palace in Oslo when the Norwegian football team was invited for a reception. Instead she sailed with the royal yacht to Jarfjorden, only few kilometres from the border with Russia. The Norwegian royal family hosted a reception for the national football team following its success at the World Cup. At the same time, the queen anchored up with the royal yacht in Jarfjorden, near the border with Russia.

Timofei Rogozin from Mehamn, Norway, has been declared a "foreign agent" by Russia's Ministry of Justice. Timofei Rogozin has been declared a "foreign agent" by Russia's Ministry of Justice. According to Moscow, the man who runs a sewing workshop in Mehamn, Northern Norway, has spread false information about Russian authorities, spoken out against the “special military operation”, and taken part in distributing materials from foreign agents and undesirable organisations.

By: Marianne Frantzen and Trude Borch // Akvaplan-niva Camilla With Fagerli // Norwegian Institute for Water Research Brian Tsuyoshi Takeda // Restorae Øyvind Stråbø // Trefadder Erling Natvig // Vår Energi A natural sea urchin predator The Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) is a relatively stationary bottom-dwelling species commonly found along the entire Norwegian coast, typically at depths shallower than 150 metres.