{"id":1717,"date":"2026-02-06T20:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/1717\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T20:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:05:13","slug":"finnish-defence-forces-move-to-restore-infantry-mine-capability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/1717\/","title":{"rendered":"Finnish Defence Forces move to restore infantry mine capability"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finland has begun preparations to reintroduce infantry mines as part of its defence posture following withdrawal from the Ottawa treaty<\/a> banning their use.<\/p>\n

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The Finnish Defence Forces confirmed<\/a> that development work and procurement planning are under way, with the stated aim of producing new mines inside Finland. Training for professional soldiers has started, and conscripts will receive instruction as part of normal service.<\/p>\n

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The withdrawal from the Ottawa treaty took effect on 10 January.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

The decision allows Finland to acquire infantry mines again and to rebuild a capability that was phased out more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

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Speaking at a media briefing at Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani, pioneer inspector Colonel Riku Mikkonen said infantry mines form part of a wider obstacle system used by a conscription-based army.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey are a simple and cost-effective weapon for a conscription force,\u201d Mikkonen said. \u201cTheir role has gained weight based on lessons from the war in Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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According to the Defence Forces, infantry mines will be integrated into obstacle planning alongside anti-tank mines, demolitions and terrain-based barriers. The aim is to restrict enemy movement, protect defending forces and slow advances in key areas.<\/p>\n

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The use of mines will remain restricted to exceptional circumstances. Authorities will not permit deployment during normal conditions, and their use would be limited to combat zones under formal decisions.<\/p>\n

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Officials stressed that Finland does not plan to revive earlier stake or tube mines, which were withdrawn from service due to safety risks. Instead, the focus lies on modern designs that remain technically simple and quick to manufacture.<\/p>\n

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Domestic production is central to the plan. Mikkonen said security of supply holds military importance, especially during crises.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA mine produced in Finland could cost a few tens of euros,\u201d he said. \u201cWith additional features, the price could rise to a few hundred euros.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Before joining the Ottawa treaty, Finland held close to one million infantry mines. Officials said future quantities would depend on security needs, with reference to large-scale use observed in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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Training has already begun using directional charges known as fan charges, which are held in existing stocks. These devices fall outside the treaty framework when used under observation, though they can also function as mines when triggered by tripwires.<\/p>\n

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Defence officials said Finland will continue to follow international rules governing marking, recording and post-conflict clearance. Civilian areas will remain excluded from mine use, and the Defence Forces said they retain the ability to clear their own minefields after hostilities.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Discussions with Finnish defence industry firms are set to begin during the year. No company currently manufactures infantry mines in Finland, and production last took place in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n

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HT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Finland has begun preparations to reintroduce infantry mines as part of its defence posture following withdrawal from the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[87],"tags":[2110,2109,158,2108,113,2106,2107],"class_list":{"0":"post-1717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-helsinki","8":"tag-conscript-training","9":"tag-domestic-production","10":"tag-finland","11":"tag-finnish-defence-forces","12":"tag-helsinki","13":"tag-infantry-mines","14":"tag-ottawa-treaty"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}