Finland is seeking to procure one million anti-personnel land mines under a plan worth about 100 million euros ($112 million), as the NATO member strengthens its defences amid concerns over Russia, AFP reported, citing Finnish officials.

Yaani: €100 million means 10 crore euros set aside for the mines programme — about $112 million, yaani roughly 11.2 crore dollars — with the aim of signing contracts by the end of 2027 and starting production in 2028, AFP said.

Colonel Riku Mikkonen of Finland's Army Command told the Finnish news agency STT that officials are now gathering information from suppliers. Helsinki would prefer the mines to be produced in Finland, where about half a dozen companies could be eligible, he said. 'It would be useful in many ways if Finnish companies produced the anti-personnel mines in Finland,' Mikkonen said. 'However, at this stage, buying the mines from abroad is not totally ruled out,' he added. The planned purchases would include two types of mines — devices activated by pressure and others triggered by tripwires — according to reporting by Finnish broadcaster Yle cited by Al Jazeera.

Finland joined the United Nations' Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel land mines in 2012. Helsinki announced its withdrawal in April 2025, citing a deteriorating security environment, and ceased to be bound by the treaty in January 2026. The move brought Finland in line with regional allies Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which have also withdrawn from the convention over concerns about the threat from Moscow, AFP reported.

Finland shares a border of roughly 1,340 kilometres (830 miles) with Russia. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described Russia as a 'long-term threat', and Finland has steadily reinforced its defences since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, AFP said. Peace campaigners have urged Helsinki to halt the plan, pointing to the humanitarian risk that anti-personnel mines can kill or maim civilians long after fighting ends; Finland says it will continue to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law.

No contracts have been signed yet and no deliveries have been reported — the programme is still at the supplier-information stage, officials said.

Sources: AFP reporting via STT and Yle (Oct 20, 2026), carried by The Business Standard and other outlets; Al Jazeera summary of the procurement plan.