--- title: "Finland To Build A Million Landmines As Russian Threat Looms" description: "Helsinki is moving to restart domestic production of once-outlawed anti-personnel mines as Russia rebuilds its military posture along NATO’s northern flank. Helsinki is moving to restart domestic production of once-outlawed anti-personnel mines as Russia rebuilds its military posture along NATO’s northern flank." date: "2026-10-20" modified: "2026-10-20" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/finland-plans-to-build-a-million-landmines-as-russian-threat-looms" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Land" - "NATO" - "News & Features" - "Russia" --- # Finland To Build A Million Landmines As Russian Threat Looms ![Finnish conscripts wearing winter camouflage uniforms install anti personnel mines on a tree in a snow covered forest during a media day event at the Kainuu Brigade, a Finnish Army unit in Kajaani, Finland, on February 3, 2026.]() *Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP via Getty Images* NATO member [Finland]() is preparing to reintroduce [anti-personnel landmines]() into its military arsenal, with a contract for around one million examples due to be signed soon, following the country’s withdrawal from the [Ottawa Convention]() that aims to eliminate these weapons. The move comes as Helsinki looks to strengthen its territorial defenses against a longstanding Russian threat and the prospect of a [larger Russian military presence]() along its eastern border in the years ahead. Finland’s withdrawal from the treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, took effect on January 10 of this year. Reflecting growing concern among NATO’s eastern-flank members about Russia’s military posture and the lessons of the war in Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have also moved to leave the convention. ![Two Finnish conscripts wearing winter camouflage uniforms, armed with machine guns walk through the snow covered forest while installing anti personnel mines during a media day event at the Kainuu Brigade, a Finnish Army unit in Kajaani, Finland on February 3, 2026. (Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP via Getty Images)]() *Two Finnish conscripts wearing winter camouflage uniforms walk through the snow-covered forest while installing anti-personnel mines during a media day event at the Kainuu Brigade, a Finnish Army unit in Kajaani, Finland, on February 3, 2026. *Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP** Mines have, for many centuries, been used to complicate an attacker’s movement, slow operations, and force troops to devote time and resources to clearing obstacles. Anti-personnel mines, in particular, have long been employed in defensive campaigns, but they come with significant humanitarian risks. They can kill or maim civilians long after hostilities end, which has seen them fall foul of international humanitarian law in many countries — at least when those nations don’t see a realistic risk of invasion. It is a measure of how badly the European security environment has deteriorated that anti-personnel mines are back on the agenda. The Finnish Defense Forces [previously said]() that discussions with the domestic defense industry and preparations to train military personnel would begin early this year. It has now [announced]() that the project seeks two different types of anti-personnel mines, of Finnish manufacture. The two weapons will comprise a modern tube mine activated by a tripwire trigger, and a pressure-activated step mine. In the future, more technically advanced mines may also be procured, including cluster-type mines of the kind deployed by Russia in Ukraine. In general, anti-personnel mines have been very widely used by both sides in that conflict, with Kyiv notably receiving them as part of U.S. air packages, as you can read about [here](). Neither the United States nor Russia are signatories of the Ottawa Convention. ![BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 7: An anti-personnel mine MON-50 is presented to the public during an exhibition "Evidence of Crimes" in 'Gare Europe', in front of the European Parliament on March 7, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.The exhibition presents a collection of destroyed and captured weapons and military equipment of the Russian army, which is presented by the Research Center for Trophy and Prospective Weapons and Military Equipment of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The exhibition includes about 100 items related to the history of the defence of Ukraine after the full-scale invasion of the Russian federation on February 24, 2022. (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)]() *A Russian MON-50 anti-personnel mine captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. *Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images** []() “The aim is for production of the new anti-personnel mines to begin in Finland in 2028,” said Col. Riku Mikkonen, inspector of engineers for the Finnish Army Command. “We have a materials procurement project underway, which is currently in the preparatory and market review phase. At the same time, we are drawing up the technical specifications for the mines,” Mikkonen added. “We will soon move on to the stage where we issue requests for tenders, so that we can eventually proceed to a competitive tendering process and conclude contracts.” ![Colonel Riku Mikkonen looks on during a media day event at the Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani, Finland on February 3, 2026. (Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP via Getty Images)]() *Colonel Riku Mikkonen looks on during a media day event at the Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani, Finland on February 3, 2026. *Photo by Alessandro RAMPAZZO / AFP** At this point, no contracts have been signed. However, once the procurement effort is underway, the Finnish Defense Forces are set to return their anti-personnel mine stockpile to what it was before acceding to the Ottawa Convention in 2012. The first new mines and associated training equipment are expected to become available during 2027. Ultimately, all conscripts will be trained to employ anti-personnel mines. The total cost of the project is around $110 million, with the last of the mines scheduled to be delivered in the 2030s. Helsinki has stressed that it does not intend to lay anti-personnel mines during peacetime. Mikkonen said the weapons would be used only under emergency conditions. ![Finnish soldiers at Vuosanka near Kajaani as British soldiers train during a major exercise on NATO's border with Russia. A company of 3 Rifles, based in Edinburgh, has spent six weeks training in the north of Finland, during where they honed their survival skills in temperatures as low as minus 28C. Picture date: Wednesday December 3, 2025. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)]() *A Finnish soldier at Vuosanka near Kajaani during a major exercise on NATO's border with Russia on December 3, 2025. *Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images** Finland’s decision reflects a national defense philosophy that has long been shaped by direct experience with Soviet aggression. The Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939, beginning the Winter War, and fought another conflict with the country from 1941 to 1944. Finland lost territory but preserved its independence, subsequently maintaining conscription, a large trained reserve, and a defense strategy built around making any invasion costly. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 reinforced Finnish concerns that major conventional warfare in Europe remained a realistic possibility. Finland joined NATO in April 2023, and the country shares a little over 800 miles of border with Russia. ![]() Finland’s defensive approach traditionally emphasizes rapid mobilization to defend national territory and delay a much larger attacking force until reinforcements can arrive. The role of anti-personnel mines in that scenario is clear, being sown to slow down infantry movements and hamper advances through vulnerable areas. Their disproportionate effect, at least in theory, is especially relevant for a country with a relatively tiny population compared to the length of its border. At the same time, anti-personnel mines would form only one part of a much broader defensive system incorporating artillery, airstrikes, engineering obstacles, fortifications, and reserve forces. It should be noted that Finland also has a considerable armory of anti-tank and anti-vehicle mines, most of which are of local manufacture. ![Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the West Point-based 237th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group train on multiple techniques for both the hasty and deliberate emplacement of anti-tank mines with trainers from the Finnish Army’s Karelia Brigade during Exercise Arctic Forge 25, Feb. 22, 2025, near Kouvola, Finland. Arctic Forge 25 is a U.S. Army multilateral exercise in Finland and Norway, focused on enhancing arctic military capabilities and cooperation with a focus on honing U.S. troops skills to survive, fight, and win in the Arctic’s austere conditions. The Virginia National Guard’s participation strengthens its partnership with the Finnish Defense Force, formalized in May 2024 through the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Marc Heaton)]() *Virginia Army National Guard soldiers train on multiple techniques for both the hasty and deliberate emplacement of anti-tank mines with trainers from the Finnish Army’s Karelia Brigade during Exercise Arctic Forge 25, on February 22, 2025, near Kouvola, Finland. *U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Marc Heaton** In general, Moscow has been restructuring its military command arrangements and starting to establish the foundations for a larger conventional presence across northern Europe. In 2024, Russia reestablished the Leningrad Military District, an apparent response to Finland’s and Sweden’s subsequent entry into NATO. The Leningrad Military District is responsible for a strategically important region that covers the approaches to St. Petersburg, areas bordering Finland, and territory extending toward the Arctic. Its reestablishment gives Russia a dedicated command structure for managing forces facing NATO across this northern sector. ![Russian servicemen take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in downtown Saint Petersburg on June 20, 2020. - Russia's President Putin on June 24 will preside over a massive military parade to mark Soviet victory in World War II, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP) (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images)]() *Russian servicemen take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in downtown St. Petersburg on June 20, 2020. *Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images** While significant, the creation of a military district does not necessarily generate additional combat power. Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to drain resources in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics, and more. Nevertheless, Moscow’s longer-term plans point toward a substantial expansion of its ground forces and military infrastructure in areas facing Finland and the wider NATO alliance. A central element of Russia’s reorganization is the formation of the 44th Army Corps in the Republic of Karelia, near Finland’s eastern border. The corps was established in 2024 as part of the wider effort to strengthen Russia’s military presence in the northwest. Russia’s wider military development also encompasses the Kola Peninsula and approaches to the Arctic, where facilities support the Northern Fleet and its [strategic nuclear submarine force](). Satellite imagery last year [showed construction]() at the Lupche-Savino garrison near Kandalaksha, including facilities intended to accommodate an artillery brigade and at least part of an engineering brigade. The location is approximately 70 miles east of Finland’s border. Earlier this year, a separate report [by the Finnish *Yle* media outlet]() found that the Russian military was expanding a base in the town of Novaya Vilga to hold as many as 6,000 Russian troops. It is located about 100 miles from the Finnish border. https://twitter.com/Mikareport/status/2064620917137821716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2064620917137821716%7Ctwgr%5Eab62b6606ba91949cad61cb992f7cb3bbfe88ca6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fnews-features%2Frussia-building-new-infrastructure-for-major-troop-deployments-along-natos-northern-flank For Finland, the situation could change dramatically if the war in Ukraine winds down, and the Russian military assembles in greater strength closer to its borders. Finland’s [Military Intelligence Review 2026]() assesses that Russia’s military reforms have not yet significantly increased its capabilities in its immediate vicinity. But it still anticipates a substantial increase in Russian military capabilities as circumstances permit and identifies Finland as a major direction for future force development after the war. A ceasefire or settlement in Ukraine would not automatically enable Russia to launch a major offensive against Finland. A ceasefire could ease the immediate military pressure on Russia while still creating a serious economic and political challenge for the Kremlin. Russia’s wartime spending has sustained defense-sector production and employment, but winding that spending down risks exposing structural weaknesses. With a ceasefire or settlement, Moscow would still need to rebuild units, replace equipment, replenish personnel, and establish the logistical capacity to sustain large-scale operations. However, there are indications that this is already happening, at least to a degree. Recent imagery analysis [indicates](), for example, a significant buildup of newly delivered Russian armor, including new [T-90M]() tanks, at the 22nd Central Tank Reserve Base, located around 450 miles from the Finnish border. https://twitter.com/Jonpy99/status/2110662368879325259?s=20 Finland’s planned acquisition of anti-personnel mines fits into a broader effort to prepare for a potential future conflict. Prominent in the minds of Finnish — and other Nordic — defense planners is the fact that Russia is rebuilding the command structures and infrastructure needed to support [a larger military presence near NATO’s northern frontier](), even as the war in Ukraine limits its immediate ability to do so. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()