Five Nato countries neighbouring Russia or its ally, Belarus, have announced that they are to opt out of the Ottawa treaty of 1997. This treaty bans the use by signatories of anti-personnel (AP) landmines. These states – Poland, Finland, Lithuania,
Estonia and Latvia – now have plans to create a 2,000-mile stretch of mined areas as part of a defensive effort against any possible attack from Russia. The move to create such minefields comes as the result of both a recognition of the perceived growing threat from Russia and of the important defensive effect – as proved during the current Ukraine war – that both AP and anti-tank (AT) landmines can generate.
Read more…
Source: The Conversation News
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Ukraine Clears 3,798 Hectares of Agricultural Land in November Under State Demining Program
December 14, 2025
In Ukraine, in November, under the state program compensating the cost of demining, demining operators cleared 3,798 hectares of agricultural land; the cost of works reached 191.5 million UAH. In November, five contracts for the clearance of agricultural lands were signed. The average cost per hectare under the program was about 50.4 thousand UAH. In addition, ...
- Romania confirms first leprosy cases in over 40 years, two more under investigation
December 12, 2025
Romania has confirmed its first case of leprosy in more than 40 years, with three other suspected cases currently under clinical and microbiological investigation, health minister Alexandru Rogobete announced on Thursday, December 11. All four individuals are women from Asia who were employed as masseuses at a spa salon in Cluj-Napoca. The first two patients, aged ...
- UK: Bomb squad carry out explosion at Wirral golf course
December 12, 2025
A “controlled explosion” has been carried out after a bomb was found at a Wirral golf club. Merseyside Police were called to Meols Drive in Hoylake at around 12.30pm this afternoon (Friday, December 12) following a report that a suspected unexploded artillery shell was found on the course. As a precaution, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) ...
- UK: Police and fire crews ‘swarm military factory after blast’
December 11, 2025
An explosion has reportedly rocked a military supplies plant in the UK prompting a major emergency services response. The incident happened at Chemring Countermeasures facility near Salisbury at around 5.30pm today, UKNIP reports. The huge site covers roughly 100 acres. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said they were “dealing with an incident” on the site. ...
- Ukraine: National Guard soldier killed, four injured in Kyiv explosions
December 11, 2025
A National Guard soldier was killed and four people were injured in two explosions in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district. The injured include another National Guard serviceman, a security guard, and two police officers. Prosecutors are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office shared the details on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. Investigators from the SBU ...
- Cyprus: Bomb explosion in Akrotiri vehicle
December 10, 2025
A bomb exploded in a parked vehicle in the Akrotiri community in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the sovereign base areas (SBA) police. Officers were called to the scene at around 2am following reports of an explosion. Initial information from the police indicates the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device placed under ...
- Ukraine Launches GRIT Platform for Efficient Land Demining Prioritization
December 10, 2025
As part of the Demine Forum 2025, the Ministry of Economy and Environment presented the Ukrainian platform GRIT (Ground Rehabilitation through Innovation Technologies) for analysing territories for demining. Its task is to determine demining priorities based on economic viability, the impact on infrastructure and the population, and to preserve the history of parcels. Details of the ...
- Spain: The Centre of Excellence for Improvised Explosive Devices teaches the course on ‘Weapons Intelligence Team’
December 9, 2025
The Centre of Excellence for Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED COE) organised and ran a new edition of the Weapons Intelligence Team (WIT) Training Developer Course at its facilities in Hoyo de Manzanares. This training was inaugurated by the deputy director of the C-IED COE, US Colonel Christopher Bartos. The course brought together 15 students from nine ...
- Ukraine: UN FAO, Qatar Fund for Development allocate $10 mln to support rural communities affected by mine risk
December 9, 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed an agreement worth $10 million to support rural communities affected by potential contamination of agricultural land with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine, the FAO press service reported. “The programme aims to restore safe use ...
- UK: Teenager convicted of producing explosives
December 8, 2025
A call to a domestic assault has today led to the conviction of an 18-year-old man, who had spent years manufacturing a collection of weapons from his bedroom. Today, Sakhile Ntsele, 18 (10.01.2007) of Wandsworth Road, SW8 has been convicted of 14 counts including possession of a firearm and making an explosive substance. Detective Inspector Raymond ...
- Europol: New report explores use of robotics and unmanned systems in the fight against crime
December 8, 2025
The integration of unmanned systems into crime is already here, and we have to ask ourselves how criminals and terrorists might use drones and robots some years from now. Just as the internet and smartphones presented significant opportunities as well as challenges, so will this technology. Our new report by Europol’s Innovation Lab explores the future ...
- Northern Ireland: Viable pipe-bomb found as homes evacuated in West Belfast security alert
December 8, 2025
A number of homes were evacuated following the discovery of a pipe-bomb in West Belfast. Emergency services are currently at the scene in the Areema Drive area of Dunmurry. A pSNI spokesperson said: “Our officers attended the scene, along with ammunition technical officers, who examined the device. It was discovered to be a viable pipe bomb ...
- Japan, UNDP supply protective suits to Ukraine for mine clearance
December 6, 2025
Japan and the U.N. Development Program recently supplied 15 sets of protective suits and helmets to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service to support the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance. The U.S.-made suits, weighing approximately 38 kilograms and costing about $25,000 each, provide full-body protection against blasts, heat and impact. Read more… Source: MSN News Sign up for the Counter-IED ...
- UK: Men arrested over suspected explosives offences as major incident declared in Derby
December 4, 2025
A major incident has been declared and 200 homes evacuated after two men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences in Derby. Derbyshire Police carried out a warrant at a property in Vulcan Street, acting on intelligence about materials at the address. Two men, one in his 40s and another in his 50s, who are Polish ...
- Romania says it destroys maritime drone in Black Sea
December 3, 2025
The Romanian military blew up a maritime drone that was endangering navigation in the Black Sea, the Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday, amid rising concerns about risks to shipping in the area linked to the war in Ukraine. The ministry said that the drone, which was found in an area 36 nautical miles (66 ...