Full Breakdown
Finland Plans to Re-Introduce One Million Anti-Personnel Mines Amid Russian Border Buildup
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Core Event: Reinstating Anti-Personnel Mines
Finland is preparing to re-enter anti-personnel mines into its defence inventory, targeting a stockpile of roughly one million units. The procurement project, valued at about $110 million, will involve two Finnish-manufactured designs—a tripwire-activated tube mine and a pressure-activated step mine. Production is slated to begin in 2028, with the first mines and training kits expected in 2027 and final deliveries projected for the 2030s. No contracts have been signed yet, but the Finnish Defence Forces intend to restore the pre-2012 stockpile level once the tender process is completed. Helsinki says the mines would be deployed only under emergency conditions.
Background & Context
Finland withdrew from the Ottawa Convention effective 10 January 2026, joining Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. After joining NATO in April 2023, Finland now shares a little-over 800-mile border with Russia.
Russia has been restructuring forces near the Finnish frontier. In 2024 it re-established the Leningrad Military District and created the 44th Army Corps in Karelia. Satellite imagery in 2025 showed expansion of a base in Novaya Vilga to house up to 6,000 troops roughly 100 miles from the border, while a garrison near Kandalaksha (? 70 miles east) is being readied for artillery and engineering units.
Data & Statistics
- Target stockpile: ~1 million anti-personnel mines.
- Project cost: ? $110 million.
- Production start: 2028; first mines available 2027.
- Delivery horizon: into the 2030s.
- Mine types: modern tube mine (tripwire) and pressure-activated step mine.
- Finnish border with Russia: > 800 miles.
Official Statements & Responses
Col. Riku Mikkonen said the next step will be issuing tender requests and stressed that the mines will be used only under emergency conditions.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Feb 3 2026: Finnish conscripts were filmed installing mines during a media-day event at the Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani.
- Dec 3 2025: A Finnish soldier participated in an exercise near Vuosanka, close to the NATO-Russia border.
- Feb 22 2025: Virginia Army National Guard soldiers trained with Finnish trainers on anti-tank mine emplacement during Exercise Arctic Forge 25 near Kouvola.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree no contracts have been finalized, yet officials indicate a contract “will be signed soon.” The timeline for full delivery remains broad, and the annual production rate has not been disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The aim is for production of the new anti-personnel mines to begin in Finland in 2028,” — 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,” — Col. Riku Mikkonen
What’s Next
Finland plans to issue tender requests soon, followed by competitive contracting. Production is scheduled for 2028, with the final batch expected in the 2030s. The Defence Forces will train all conscripts on mine deployment as part of broader readiness measures that also include artillery, airstrikes, engineering obstacles and reserve forces.