Finland to Purchase One Million Domestic Anti-Personnel Mines for €100 Million

Finland plans to purchase one million domestically produced anti-personnel mines worth €100 million.

Ruotuväki, the Finnish Defence Forces’ military publication, reported on this.

Production is expected to begin in Finland by 2028. The Finnish Defence Forces are preparing the procurement programme and plan to launch the tender process soon.

Colonel Riku Mikkonen, Inspector of Engineer Troops at the Army Command, said that no contracts had been signed yet. Finland aims to sign the contracts by the end of 2027, with delivery of the full order expected in the 2030s.

The program includes procuring two types of anti-personnel mines: tripwire-activated and pressure-activated. Initial deliveries are planned over the next few years, with stockpiles gradually increasing.

Finland aims to involve its domestic defence industry in production. According to Mikkonen, around six companies in the country can manufacture such munitions.

In July 2025, companies Nammo Lapua, Insta and Raikka expressed interest in producing anti-personnel mines, while Forced Explosives said it was ready to discuss the possibility with the military.

Finnish authorities emphasise that anti-personnel mines will not be deployed in peacetime. They will be stored in warehouses and used only in emergency situations.

In addition to replenishing its stockpiles, Finland aims to establish its own production capacity, enabling it to rapidly increase mine production in the event of a crisis. However, purchasing mines from abroad has not been ruled out entirely.

Finland joined the Ottawa Convention in 2012. At the time, its arsenal contained more than one million anti-personnel mines.

In August 2015, the Finnish Defense Forces announced that they had completed the destruction of most of the stockpiles in accordance with the country’s obligations under the convention. In total, Finland destroyed more than one million such munitions.

The Finnish government announced its intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention in April 2025. Parliament approved the decision on June 19, 2025, and on July 10, Finland formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal.

The withdrawal took effect on January 10, 2026. Helsinki cited the deteriorating security situation in Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as the reason for the decision.

Finland shares a border of approximately 1,340 km with Russia. In 2025, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also announced plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention. These countries linked their decision to reconsider their commitments to growing threats along NATO’s eastern flank.