Lithuania and Finland plan to start producing anti-personnel mines next year to supply themselves and Ukraine.
Reuters reports this, citing official representatives of two NATO member countries.
Finland and Lithuania to Launch Anti-Personnel Mine Production in 2026
Earlier, Finland and Lithuania, which border Russia, announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of such mines.
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Their production could begin after the six-month exit process is completed, officials said.
“We plan to spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank mines, as well as anti-personnel mines. It will be a significant amount,” Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa told Reuters.
According to him, we are talking about tens of thousands of anti-personnel mines, or even more.
“Our national industry will be one of the sources. Our industry can produce them,” Alexa added.
Lithuania will be able to supply products to other countries, including Ukraine, once production is established, said Vinkas Jurgutis, chairman of the Lithuanian Defense Industry Association.
In turn, the head of the Finnish Parliament's Defense Committee, Heikki Autto, stated that his country should have its own production of anti-personnel mines, noting that they could also supply them to Ukraine.
“Supporting Ukraine is not only right and our duty, it is also important for Finland’s own security,” said Autto.
He recalled that before joining the Ottawa Treaty in 2011, Finland had more than 1 million anti-personnel mines.
— Finnish defense companies Nammo Lapua, Insta and Raikka have told parliament's defense committee they are interested in producing mines, while another company, Forcit Explosives, said it was willing to discuss the possibilities with the military, Reuters reports.
The publication notes that three other NATO and EU countries — Poland, Latvia and Estonia — are also withdrawing from the 1997 Ottawa Treaty. They have not announced plans to begin production of anti-personnel mines, but officials in Poland and Latvia have noted that they could quickly begin production if necessary, and Estonia is considering it as a possible option in the future.
Ukraine also announced that it was withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention to better protect itself from Russia, which is not a party to the treaty.
