Britain and its European allies must urgently regain the ability to deploy landmines if they are to be able to counter the “terrifying” threat posed by Russia, experts have warned.
Finland, a new member of Nato in the wake of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, announced in December that it was considering pulling out of the Ottawa treaty after Moscow, which is not a signatory, planted millions of mines in its ongoing war with Kyiv. The Scandinavian country, which has an 800-mile border with Russia, said the move should be seen as “defensive”. Leaders in the neighbouring Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – have also mooted returning to the use of anti-personnel mines, with senior figures in Estonia floating the idea of leaving the Ottawa ban.
Read more…
Source: MSN News
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- Norway strengthens efforts against landmines and explosives globally
August 6, 2026
Norway commits NOK 580 million to humanitarian efforts aimed at protecting civilians from landmines and explosive remnants of war. The funding will also cover victim assistance and advocacy to strengthen international norms and legal instruments, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. “All weapons kill and maim, but in most cases, this happens while a war is ...
- Vietnam prioritises post-war recovery cooperation with US
August 5, 2026
Affirming that Vietnam regards the US as one of its important partners, Cuong said defence cooperation between the two countries has developed positively and been implemented effectively across a range of areas, including post-war recovery, dialogue and consultations, training, United Nations peacekeeping, cooperation between military services and branches, military medicine, defence industry, and humanitarian assistance ...
- Azerbaijan: Two injured in Aghdara mine blast
August 3, 2026
Two men injured in an explosion that occurred today (August 3) at around 10:40 in the village of Chardagly in Azerbaijan’s Aghdara district were admitted to the emergency department of the Tartar Central District Hospital. The incident took place during a humanitarian demining operation when NGO employee Alzamin Surkhayli (born in 1994) triggered an anti-personnel mine. Read ...
- Ukraine demining efforts restore farmland and create jobs in Mykolaiv region
July 29, 2026
The removal of landmines and unexploded ordnance in Ukraine is helping communities restore agricultural production, rebuild livelihoods and create new employment opportunities. In Mykolaiv Oblast, humanitarian demining efforts supported by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) are allowing farmers to safely return to their fields while opening new career pathways in the growing mine action sector. The ...
- Lebanon: Peacekeepers help make routes safer by neutralizing explosive hazards
July 28, 2026
As UNIFIL expands its operational activities following the reduction in violence in southern Lebanon, peacekeepers continue to encounter explosive hazards left behind by the conflict. Supporting patrols and checks of routes used by peacekeepers, UNIFIL’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists help make key routes safer, allowing peacekeepers to carry out their tasks more safely while ...
- Cambodia: Mine Authority and Indian Embassy Sign MoU for Mine Clearance Project in Pursat Province
July 27, 2026
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and the Embassy of India in Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 27 to implement a Quick Impact Project for mine clearance in Pursat province. The MoU was inked by H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and CMAA First Vice-President, and Indian Ambassador to ...
- Syria: Defense Ministry destroys landmines in western Damascus countryside
July 21, 2026
The Engineering Directorate at Syria’s Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and its Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) program, destroyed a cache of landmines and unexploded ordnance collected from the towns of Kanaker, Zakia, Khan al-Shih and Darousha in the western countryside of Damascus. The operation forms part of ongoing efforts to remove ...
- Azerbaijan: Civilian injured in explosion in Kalbajar region
July 21, 2026
A civilian was injured in an ordnance explosion on July 21 in the village of Zeylik, located in Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar district, an area liberated from occupation. Authorities said the victim was grazing livestock in an area that had not yet been cleared of landmines and unexploded ordnance when the explosion occurred, leaving him injured. Read more… Source: AzerNews Sign ...
- Syrian, British officials discuss recovery, mine action in Damascus
July 20, 2026
Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh met on Monday with the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires and Acting Special Representative to Syria, Barrie Peach, to discuss the government’s “Syria Without Camps” initiative, infrastructure rehabilitation, recovery efforts, and mine action. In a post on X, al-Saleh said the talks focused on the work of the National Mine Action Center, ...
- Vietnam: Explosive Remnants of War discovered in Quang Ngai
July 19, 2026
On July 19, the Military Command of Dong Son commune coordinated with specialized agencies of the Quang Ngai Provincial Military Command to organize the collection, transportation and safe handling of bombs, ammunition, and explosives left over from the war discovered in the area. Previously, receiving a report from people, the commune military force proceeded to collect ...
- Cambodia: Transforming Conflict Zones Into Fertile Ground
July 17, 2026
In a resounding testament to international solidarity and humanitarian progress, the landscape of Cambodia is undergoing a historic transformation. On July 8, 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin announced a major milestone on social media, detailing the profound impact of China’s sustained demining assistance. Since 2018, collaborative efforts have successfully cleared and repurposed approximately ...
- China Donates Advanced X-Ray Demining Devices to Azerbaijan
July 17, 2026
China has supplied two advanced X-ray devices to Azerbaijan to support the country’s demining operations. The announcement was made by Chairman of the Mine Action Agency of the Azerbaijan Republic (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov during a briefing marking the agency’s 28th anniversary. Suleymanov said the equipment represents one of the latest technologies available for humanitarian demining. Read more… Source: The Caspian ...
- Ukraine, Syria to cooperate on humanitarian demining
July 15, 2026
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft agreement with the government of the Syrian Arab Republic on cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining. “The draft agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the government of the Syrian Arab Republic on cooperation in mine action in the area of humanitarian demining is hereby ...
- Iraq has cleared more than 4,000 square kilometers of mine-contaminated land
July 14, 2026
Iraq has cleared more than 4,000 square kilometers of land contaminated by mines since 2003, leaving about 2,738 square kilometers still requiring clearance, the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday, while denying reports that it has contracted companies to carry out demining work. Mustafa Hamid Majeed, director of the Awareness and Media Section at the ministry’s Mine ...
- U.S. Marines Strengthen Papua New Guinea EOD Capabilities Through Humanitarian Mine Action Training
July 14, 2026
U.S. Marines with 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, conducted Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) training with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit at Basilisk Naval Base, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, strengthening their ability to safely identify, render safe, and dispose of unexploded ordnance (UXO) remaining from ...
- Peacekeepers continue efforts to reduce explosive threats in South Lebanon
July 9, 2026
UNIFIL and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) continue to work together to strengthen Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and demining capabilities in southern Lebanon. The partnership supports the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by helping reduce the risks posed by explosive remnants of war and improving safety for local communities. As part of ...
- EU donates next-generation demining machine to Armenia
July 8, 2026
The European Union has donated a next-generation remote-controlled demining machine to Armenia to support humanitarian mine clearance efforts, Peter Wagner, Head of the European Commission’s Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), announced during a press briefing. According to Wagner, the machine weighs about 20 tonnes and forms part of a €5.5 million demining assistance package provided by the EU. The ...
- Norway increases support for demining in Ukraine
July 7, 2026
The Norwegian Government is strengthening its long-term efforts for humanitarian mine clearance in Ukraine. Through Norad, Norway is allocating up to NOK 400 million over four years to three organisations that will help protect civilians and reduce the risks posed by landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive hazards. Read more… Source: Government Norway Sign up for the Counter-IED ...
- Syria: Two People Killed in Landmine Explosion
July 6, 2026
Syrian authorities announced on Monday that two people were killed after a landmine exploded west of Al Shukhna city in the eastern countryside of the governorate of Homs in central Syria. Medical sources said that one of the victims died at the scene of the explosion, while the second sustained critical injuries and later died after ...
- Africa marks mine awareness day amidst the ongoing threat of IEDs
July 4, 2026
African nations join the world today in commemorating the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action under the theme “Safe futures start here.” The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to be observed on April 4 to address the threats posed by anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, including ...
- Central African Republic Unveils Five-Year Strategy to Expand Mine Clearance Efforts
June 29, 2026
The Central African Republic (CAR) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) have adopted a five-year national strategy to strengthen mine action and explosive ordnance risk prevention, according to a statement released on Saturday, June 27. The authorities validated the strategy following a seminar organized by the National Mine Action Authority (ANLAM) with ...
- South Korean forum urges wider clearance of DMZ land mines
June 26, 2026
South Korean defense experts, mine-clearance researchers and technology companies called for broader government, military and civilian cooperation to remove land mines and unexploded ordnance near the Demilitarized Zone, saying the weapons continue to threaten residents more than seven decades after the Korean War. The Defense and Security Forum held its fourth roundtable Thursday at the Korea ...