Finland’s military says it will begin acquiring anti-personnel landmines and training troops to use them following the country’s formal withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, citing heightened security concerns along its border with Russia.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Finland will begin taking steps to acquire anti-personnel landmines and train its troops—including conscripts and reservists—in their use, the country’s Defence Forces announced on Jan. 14, marking a significant shift in its military posture after formally withdrawing from the international treaty banning the weapons.
The withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention took effect on Jan. 10. In a military statement, Finland’s Defence Forces said the objective is to have the first newly produced mines and associated training equipment available during 2027.
According to the statement, the new anti-personnel mines are intended to be developed in cooperation with Finland’s domestic defense industry, with the additional goal of manufacturing the devices inside the country. Training on the use of landmines is expected to begin early this year, though peacetime instruction will rely on training equipment rather than live explosives.
“For the Defence Forces, anti-personnel landmines are one addition to our system in a time when strengthening defence capability is particularly important,” said Col. Riku Mikkonen, the Defence Forces’ inspector of engineers. He said the mines would be integrated into counter-mobility operations, which aim to restrict an adversary’s movement through the combined use of anti-tank mines, obstacles, and terrain features.
Mikkonen emphasized that the weapons would only be deployed under “emergency conditions” in designated “combat areas,” and that live mines would not be used in peacetime training.
Finland had previously destroyed more than one million landmines after 2012, becoming the last European Union country to sign the Ottawa agreement, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 nations. The treaty requires participating states to destroy stockpiled anti-personnel mines within four years and to clear existing minefields within 10 years.
Last year, Finland joined several other European Union and NATO members located near Russia—including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland—in deciding to leave the treaty, citing growing concerns about the military threat posed by Moscow.
Finland shares the longest land border with Russia of any NATO country, and its accession to the alliance effectively doubled NATO’s direct border with the Russian Federation. The Nordic nation joined NATO in 2023 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ending decades of military nonalignment.
Landmines have played a prominent role in the war in Ukraine. Russia has deployed them extensively during its invasion, and in July accused Ukraine of doing the same after Kyiv announced its own withdrawal from the convention. According to the United Nations, Ukraine is now considered the most heavily mined country in the world, with an estimated 23 percent of its territory potentially contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The United Nations and World Bank estimate that clearing mines and unexploded shells in Ukraine will cost approximately $34.6 billion.
The Ottawa Convention—formally titled “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction”—defines an anti-personnel mine as one designed to explode due to the presence, proximity, or contact of a person, causing injury or death. While the treaty is supported by most of the international community, notable non-signatories include the United States, China, Russia, India, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Finland’s decision to exit the treaty drew criticism from humanitarian campaigners. In July, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines called the move a “dramatic reversal of Finland’s longstanding support for humanitarian disarmament and international law.”
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