Lithuania and Finland prepare to produce anti-personnel mines
Lithuania and Finland have decided to start their own production of anti-personnel mines next year to protect their armies from possible military threats from Russia.
Both countries, bordering Russia, plan to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use of such mines. According to official sources, the production of anti-personnel mines will begin after the completion of the withdrawal process from the convention, which will take six months, Reuters reports.
'We are going to spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. This will be a significant amount,' commented Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Defense Karolis Aleksa.
Vincas Jurguotis, head of the Lithuanian Defense Industry Association, said that once production starts, Lithuania will be able to supply this product to other countries, including Ukraine.
Finland joins the initiative
Heikki Autto, head of the Finnish Parliament's Defense Committee, stated that Finland also decided to start producing anti-personnel mines to maintain its own security.
'It is a very effective and cost-effective weapon,' he emphasized, adding that Finland also intends to supply mines to Ukraine.
'Supporting Ukraine is our duty, and it is also important for Finland's security,' noted the Finnish politician.
The decision of Lithuania and Finland to produce anti-personnel mines reflects the heightened level of concern among the Baltic and Northern European countries regarding the Russian threat and their readiness to support Ukraine in its efforts to counter the aggressor.