Finland Advances 100 Million Euro Plan to Procure One Million Antipersonnel Mines

The Finnish Defence Forces have initiated plans to acquire one million antipersonnel landmines under an earmarked budget of approximately 100 million euros, or 112 million dollars, military officials confirmed in October 2026. Preparations for the procurement commenced after Finland formally exited the United Nations Ottawa Convention earlier in the year. Helsinki is actively seeking supplier information with the objective of finalizing contracts by the end of 2027 and establishing operational domestic manufacturing by 2028.

Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Finnish Army Command stated that roughly half a dozen domestic defense companies possess the technical capability to manufacture the munitions. Mikkonen emphasized that domestic production within Finland remains the preferred approach for multiple strategic reasons, although military leadership has not completely ruled out purchasing mines from foreign suppliers. The story of the procurement drive originally surfaced in Finland through the Finnish Defence Forces' official publication, Ruotuväki, before being confirmed to the domestic news agency STT.

The procurement schedule aligns with a broader shift among regional partners, though reporting indicates slight variations regarding initial operational timelines. While defense coverage noted initial deliveries could occur as soon as 2027, economic reports outlined that full assembly is slated for 2028 following contract signings. The initiative follows the Finnish government's assessment of a worsening security landscape along its eastern frontier, with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo explicitly designating Russia as a persistent, long-term threat to both Finnish and European collective security.

The procurement initiative has drawn sharp criticism from disarmament organizations. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines appealed directly to senior United Nations leadership, European Union officials, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and allied foreign ministries to intervene. The coalition argued that leaving the Ottawa Convention does not compel nations to restart stockpiling indiscriminate weapons that present acute post-conflict risks to noncombatants.

Finland initially joined the United Nations Ottawa Convention banning antipersonnel landmines in 2012. However, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and escalating border provocations, Helsinki re-evaluated its defense posture across its 1,340-kilometer land border with Russia. Finnish authorities faced repeated hybrid incidents along this boundary, including operations where Russian authorities directed irregular migrant flows directly toward Finnish checkpoints.

In April 2025, Finland formally announced its decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, citing the deteriorating regional security landscape. That withdrawal took full legal effect in January 2026, liberating Helsinki from international restrictions prohibiting the acquisition, stockpiling, and deployment of antipersonnel mines. The withdrawal mirrored corresponding policy shifts among regional NATO allies including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all of which moved away from the treaty citing immediate threats from Moscow.

Antipersonnel mines detonate through the proximity or physical contact of individuals and cannot distinguish combatants from civilians. Humanitarian monitoring groups report that these munitions remain lethal long after conflicts end. According to the Landmine Monitor 2025, noncombatants made up over 90 percent of recorded global casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war during 2024, with children accounting for nearly half of civilian casualties of known age.