Finland's military will begin acquiring anti personnel landmines and training soldiers, conscripts and reservists in their use later this year, the Defence Forces said on Wednesday.
The decision follows Finland's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti personnel landmines, which officially took effect on January 10. Several EU and NATO countries bordering Russia, including Poland and the Baltic states, have taken the same step amid rising security concerns.
Officials say the decision is driven by lessons from the war in Ukraine, where landmines have been widely used. Finland plans to work closely with its domestic defence industry, with training set to begin in early 2026.
The military expects the first newly developed mines and training equipment to be ready in 2027. According to the Defence Forces, the long term goal is to manufacture the mines in Finland. Colonel Riku Mikkonen, the army's inspector of engineers, stressed that "we will use mines only in emergency conditions."
Defence Forces in statement:
"The goal is to have the first new mines and their exercise equipment available in the course of 2027. New anti-personnel mines are intended to be developed in cooperation with the domestic defence industry with a further goal of manufacturing them in Finland."