Poland and the Baltic states said on Tuesday that they want to withdraw from an international treaty banning anti-personnel mines, citing Russia’s growing military threat. In a joint statement, the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention”.
The 1997 treaty — which prohibits the use, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines — has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 countries. Russia has not joined the agreement, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned the war-torn country into the most mine-laden nation in the world, according to reports.
Read more…
Source: Euronews
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- Cambodia: Farmer killed in mine blast as ERW casualties rise
May 1, 2026
A farmer was killed Wednesday when an explosive remnant of war (ERW) detonated on his land in Battambang province, taking the number of blast casualties to 21 since the start of the year. This marks a rise of 17% compared to the same period last year. Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) Director-General Heng Ratana said the ...
- Sudan: European Union funds Mine Action Programme to support recovery and safe returns
April 28, 2026
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received new funding from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) to support mine action activities aimed at improving civilian safety, humanitarian access, and early recovery in conflict-affected areas of Sudan. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received new funding ...
- Cambodia: Government aims to clear all mine-affected areas by 2030
April 27, 2026
The government has set a target to clear all mine-affected areas by 2030, with cluster munitions and priority zones containing explosive remnants of war (ERW) to be cleared by 2035. This initiative aims to bolster socio-economic development and enhance Cambodia’s international standing. In a press release following a Council of Ministers plenary session on the National ...
- Azerbaijan: One injured in landmine explosion in Aghdara district
April 26, 2026
A man was injured in a landmine explosion on April 26 in the village of Syrkhavand in Aghdara District, according to a joint statement from Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan National Mine Action Agency (ANAMA). The victim, 58-year-old Vugar Ahmadov, a resident of Yenibina village in Khojaly District, ...
- U.S. Plans to Provide Additional $1.5 Million for Demining Efforts in Serbia
April 23, 2026
On his visit to Serbia, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker attended a de-mining demonstration at the Serbian Mine Action Center in Velika Mostanica. Ambassador Whitaker’s visit underscores U.S. commitment to the new era in U.S.-Serbia relations and continued dedication to cooperation in many fields, including demining efforts. To date, the United States has invested more ...
- Landmines pose growing threat to people and environment, UNDP warns
April 22, 2026
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday called for stronger political commitment to clear landmines and other explosive ordnance as a precondition for longer-term recover, warning that they are also causing lasting environmental damage. Speaking at the 29th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers in Geneva, UNDP said explosive ordnance ...
- UNDP: Debris and Explosive Ordnance – A Guide 2026
April 21, 2026
This guidance provides a practical framework for managing debris contaminated with explosive ordnance in post-conflict environments, particularly in densely populated urban areas. Recognizing that debris removal at scale is primarily a civil engineering activity, the guidance outlines how explosive ordnance risk can be effectively managed through targeted EOD support rather than full clearance. It emphasizes that ...
- Afghanistan: Saving lives in Helmand’s most conflict-affected communities
April 15, 2026
In the south of Afghanistan, Helmand Province was once at the centre of heavy fighting between the Taliban and NATO and the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces. Until 2021, NATO and the ANA tried to expel the Taliban from their heartland, but the latter fought back fiercely. Today, the war has ended, but the danger has ...
- Azerbaijan: Mine explosion in Fuzuli kills ANAMA employee
April 14, 2026
An employee of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), 31-year-old Mughan Metili, was killed in a mine explosion in the village of Ashagi Abdurrahmanli in the Fizuli district on Tuesday. The pro-government media outlet APA said Metili had stepped on an anti-tank mine during demining operations. Metili’s relative told the pro-government media outlet Qafqazinfo that he ...
- New York: Soldiers test new technology at Fort Drum training exercise
April 14, 2026
The sound of long-range missiles and mortar strikes filled the morning air Tuesday as 10th Mountain Division soldiers trained for battle. The most deployed division of the U.S. Army tested some of the newest technology the Army has. On display, soldiers used one of the Army’s newest pieces of technology, a remotely driven pickup truck, a ...
- Bangladesh: IEDs, anti-personnel mines detected, flammable chemicals seized at Naikhongchhari border
April 10, 2026
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-personnel mines along the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban and seized a significant quantity of flammable chemical substances in separate operations. According to a BGB press release, a patrol team from Naikhongchhari Battalion (11 BGB), under the Ramu Sector, conducted a special operation on April 9 ...
- Danish Refugee Council removes explosive ordnance from key humanitarian infrastructure supporting forced returnees in Afghanistan
April 7, 2026
The Danish Refugee Council has removed ten pieces of explosive ordnance from critical humanitarian infrastructure supporting forced returnees from Pakistan. This explosive ordnance was found following heavy fighting in March at the Torkham border area following the latest round of Pakistan–Afghanistan hostilities. Danish Refugee Council humanitarian mine action teams were called to the area following reports of ...
- Somalia: Army clears IEDs in Middle Shabelle
April 6, 2026
The Somali National Army (SNA) conducted a highly critical mine clearance operation today in the Gololey area, located on the outskirts of Balcad town within the Middle Shabelle region. During the sweep, the specialized Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit of the Somali National Army successfully located and safely removed an active improvised explosive device (IED). Intelligence ...
- UNSMIL: 63 people killed by landmines in Libya in 2025
April 5, 2026
A total of 63 people, including 21 children, were killed in landmine-related incidents in Libya during 2025, according to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Libyan-led efforts to secure and better manage weapons and ammunition stockpiles and to clear explosive remnants. In a statement issued Saturday marking the ...
- Ukraine: Over 100,000 sq km of land still potentially dangerous due to mines
April 5, 2026
More than 100,000 square kilometers of Ukraine’s territory remain potentially hazardous. The Office of the President of Ukraine reported this on Facebook on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. “More than 100,000 square kilometers of our country still remain potentially dangerous. But Ukraine is doing everything to increase ...
- Iraq reports 30K casualties from unexploded ordnance since 2003
April 4, 2026
Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to kill and maim in Iraq, where thousands of victims over decades underscore one of the country’s most persistent post-war dangers. The threat has lingered for years despite international awareness campaigns and clearance efforts, with the United Nations marking April 4 as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in ...
- Syria: Over 110,000 Mines and war remnants cleared since the start of 2026
April 4, 2026
More than 110,000 mines and explosive remnants of war have been dismantled or destroyed across Syria since the beginning of 2026 by engineering units of the Syrian Arab Army, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Defense on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness. The Ministry’s Media and Communication Department told SANA ...
- Mine action clearing the path to climate resilience and lasting peace
April 2, 2026
In parts of Cambodia, land that once lay unused for years is slowly being reclaimed. For those living decades with the legacy of conflict, fields and forests were not simply unproductive–they were unsafe. Families avoided their own land, knowing that what lay beneath the soil could be deadly. Across many parts of the world this reality ...
- UK: AI-powered drones to detect explosive threats and protect military personnel
April 2, 2026
UK military personnel are set to be better protected on the battlefield as a result of trials which demonstrate cutting-edge AI in drones can rapidly recognise new threats, such as landmines and other explosive ordnance. The major trial by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on behalf of the British Army allowed bomb-disposal experts to ...
- Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action
April 1, 2026
The world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, reaffirming the essential role mine action plays in securing peace, enabling recovery, and driving sustainable development. This year’s global theme, “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” highlights a fundamental truth: peace cannot be sustained where landmines, cluster munition ...
- Every Step Could be a Threat: Children and Explosive Remnants of War
April 1, 2026
In conflict and post-conflict settings, children face daily the risk of being killed or maimed from mines and explosive remnants of war. On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, calls for urgent and renewed attention and resources for ...
- Syria: Two members of engineering teams injured in landmine explosion in northern Al-Raqqah
March 31, 2026
Two members of an engineering unit specialized in mine clearance, affiliated with the Syrian Army’s 72nd Division, were injured due to the explosion of an old landmine while they were attempting to dismantle it in Ain Issa town in northern Al-Raqqah countryside. War remnants are prevalent over large geographical areas in Syria amid a complete absence ...