Finland plans to buy one million anti-personnel mines from domestic manufacturers, with the Finnish Defence Forces aiming to establish local production by 2028 under a procurement programme worth approximately 100 million euros.
The planned acquisition follows Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti-personnel mines. The withdrawal took effect in January, prompting preparations for the purchase, Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Finnish Army Command told Finnish news agency STT.
Mikkonen said around six companies in Finland have the capacity to manufacture the mines, offering the country a potential domestic supply base for the planned procurement.
The decision to reintroduce anti-personnel mines comes amid growing security concerns in Finland and across Europe. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described Russia as a long-term threat to Finnish and European security, a concern that has shaped discussions about the country’s defence preparedness.
The planned purchases form part of Finland’s efforts to restore its ability to use anti-personnel mines after leaving the international treaty that prohibited them. Establishing domestic production by 2028 would allow the Defence Forces to source the weapons from Finnish manufacturers rather than depend entirely on external suppliers.
The Finnish Defence Forces’ magazine, Ruotuväki, first reported the procurement plan. The proposed programme would represent a significant investment in Finland’s land-based defence capabilities, with the final production arrangements dependent on preparations involving domestic manufacturers.
