Finland plans to buy one million anti-personnel landmines as it guards its Russian border
The €100 million purchase follows Finland's exit from the treaty banning landmines. Helsinki wants Finnish companies to make the mines, with production running by 2028.
At a glance
- Finland's army is seeking to acquire one million anti-personnel landmines for about €100 million ($112 million).
- It wants Finnish manufacturers to produce them, with contracts signed by the end of 2027 and production running by 2028; buying abroad is not ruled out.
- Finland left the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, which it had joined in 2012; it stopped being bound by the treaty in January 2026.
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have also left the treaty, citing the threat from Russia; Finland shares a 1,340km border with Russia.
Finland is preparing to lay the groundwork for a vast minefield defence along its border with Russia. The Finnish army is seeking to acquire one million anti-personnel landmines for about €100 million ($112 million), officials said this week — a plan made possible by Finland's exit from the international treaty banning such weapons.
The plan at a glance
| Quantity | One million anti-personnel mines |
| Cost | About €100 million ($112 million) |
| Preferred supplier | Finnish manufacturers (about six firms qualify) |
| Contracts | To be signed by the end of 2027 |
| Production | Running by 2028 |
| Imports | Not ruled out |
"It would be useful in many ways if Finnish companies produced the anti-personnel mines in Finland," said Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Army Command, adding that buying abroad is "not totally ruled out" at this stage. Officials are currently gathering information from potential suppliers.
Leaving the treaty
Finland joined the Ottawa Convention — the 1997 treaty that bans the use, production and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines — in 2012. It announced its withdrawal in April 2025, citing a worsening security situation after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and stopped being bound by the treaty in January 2026.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have also left the treaty, all citing the threat from Moscow. Together they form much of NATO's eastern border with Russia and Belarus.
Why Finland feels exposed
- Finland shares a border of about 1,340km (830 miles) with Russia — the longest of any EU country.
- It joined NATO in 2023 after decades of military non-alignment.
- Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described Russia as a long-term threat.
- Finnish officials have also accused Russia of hybrid tactics, and a Russian satellite recently made an uninvited close approach to a radar satellite used by Ukraine's military.
The criticism
Campaigners say the decision is a step backwards. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has urged Finland and the Baltic states to reverse course, warning that "antipersonnel mines cannot distinguish between a soldier and a civilian". Mines can remain dangerous for decades after a conflict ends, killing and maiming civilians — especially children — long after the fighting stops.
Why it matters
The decision shows how Russia's war in Ukraine is reshaping European defence, pushing countries to rearm and abandon arms-control commitments made after the Cold War. Ukraine itself is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. For the global campaign against landmines, which once seemed close to a universal ban, the exit of several European democracies is a serious setback.
What happens next
The Finnish army will continue talks with suppliers, aiming to sign contracts by the end of 2027 and start production in 2028.
Questions people are asking
Why is Finland buying landmines?
To defend its 1,340km border with Russia, which its government sees as a long-term threat after the invasion of Ukraine. Landmines are intended to slow any invading force.
Did Finland leave the landmine ban treaty?
Yes. Finland announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention in April 2025 and stopped being bound by it in January 2026. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have also left.
Why are anti-personnel landmines controversial?
They cannot tell soldiers from civilians and can kill or maim people for decades after a war ends. That is why more than 160 countries joined the 1997 treaty banning them.
