Finland joined the United Nations' Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel land mines in 2012. Helsinki announced its withdrawal in April 2025, citing a deteriorating security environment, and ceased to be bound by the treaty in January
TBS Report
20 October, 2026, 12:10 pm
Last modified: 20 October, 2026, 12:16 pm
Finland is seeking to procure one million anti-personnel land mines under a 100 million euro ($112 million) plan, as the country strengthens its defences amid concerns over Russia, officials said.
Officials are gathering information from suppliers, with the aim of signing contracts by the end of 2027 and starting production in 2028. Finland prefers domestic production, with about half a dozen Finnish companies considered eligible, but purchases from abroad remain an option, says Al Jazeera.
"It would be useful in many ways if Finnish companies produced the anti-personnel mines in Finland," Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Army Command said.
"However, at this stage, buying the mines from abroad is not totally ruled out," he added.
Finland joined the United Nations' Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel land mines in 2012. Helsinki announced its withdrawal in April 2025, citing a deteriorating security environment, and ceased to be bound by the treaty in January.
The move brought Finland in line with regional allies Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which also withdrew from the convention over concerns about the threat from Moscow and allegations of Russian hybrid warfare.
Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Russia. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described Russia as a "long-term threat".
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland has steadily reinforced its defences and dealt with border provocations, including incidents in which Russian authorities pushed migrants across the country's eastern border.
Separately, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has called on the European Union to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens for the duration of the war in Ukraine.
Schengen states issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025, Valtonen said, urging other EU countries to follow Finland's example. Finland introduced its ban in 2022.
"As long as Russia continues its invasion, Russian citizens should not be issued tourist visas," Valtonen said.
She added that it was "not right" for Russians to enjoy European freedoms "while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians".