Finland, together with its allies, plans to urgently build a TNT production plant.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced this, Yle reports.

This is due to a critical shortage of explosives in Western countries amid the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The shortage is caused by an unprecedented increase in demand for explosives due to the increased production of ammunition. TNT is used in artillery ammunition and is one of the standard explosive materials.

“We need to significantly increase the production of explosives. Therefore, we must seriously consider the role of the domestic industry in this matter,” emphasized Häkkänen.

According to the minister, Finland has conveyed to its allies that the decision should be made as soon as possible, as Russia is set for a long war, and the need for explosives will be high.

“The decision should be made now so that we can start the production in a year or two,” Häkkänen said.

The Minister noted that this was a joint project. The issue is being advanced in close dialogue with the Nordic countries and other allies. So far, no final decision has been made on where the new plant will be built.

Last December, Finland agreed to double its ammunition production to help Ukraine.

The agency has committed to investing approximately €24 million to boost the production of heavy ammunition and secure long-term orders from the Finnish industry. This initiative aims to enable the industry to make independent investments.

In addition, the Finnish industry will be able to apply to the EU for support under the financial package of the Ammunition Production Support Regulation, known as ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production).

The total investment of the Finnish Ministry of Defense and Industry will be about €120 million.