Finland Buying a Million Landmines

Finnish Defence Forces plan to acquire one million anti-personnel landmines from domestic manufacturers, aiming to have national production operational by 2028 and allocating about €100 million for the procurements. Preparations for the purchase began after Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines took effect in January; a defence official stated that roughly half a dozen Finnish companies are capable of producing the weapons. The timeline and budget indicate a rapid build-up of stockpiles and industrial capacity for mine production within a few years.

The decision reverses the long-standing prohibition on such weapons and is presented as a response to a deteriorating security environment. Government leaders have framed the move as defensive, with the prime minister describing Russia as a long-term threat to Finnish and European security. Reintroducing landmines signals a shift toward more robust territorial defence measures and a willingness to rebuild domestic munitions capabilities that had been constrained by international treaty obligations.