Finland’s military will initiate the acquisition of anti-personnel land mines and start training staff, conscripts and reservists to use them later this year, it said Wednesday, after the country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention that bans their usage took effect Jan. 10.
Finland and other European Union and NATO members bordering Russia — Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland — decided to leave the Ottawa treaty amid concerns over the military threat posed by Russia.
Russia has used land mines in its invasion of Ukraine, and in July accused Ukraine of doing so too, after Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.
In Finland, talks with the domestic defense industry and anti-personnel land mine training for military personnel will start early this year.
“The goal is to have the first new mines and their exercise equipment available in the course of 2027,” the Finnish Defence Forces said in a statement.
“New anti-personnel mines are intended to be developed in cooperation with the domestic defense industry with a further goal of manufacturing them in Finland.”
Finland does not plan to lay anti-personnel mines on the ground in peacetime.
“We will use mines only in emergency conditions,” said Col. Riku Mikkonen, inspector of engineers for the army command.