Poland has announced plans to increase domestic landmine production following its decision, along with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty.
Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda stated that the country aims to manufacture these weapons to reinforce its eastern borders with Russia and Belarus. “We want these mines to be produced in Poland, as we have the necessary capabilities. The goal is to expand these capacities while maintaining a balance between the private and state-owned defense industries,” Bejda said in an interview with RMF FM.
According to Bejda, the Polish military requires between several hundred thousand to as many as one million landmines.
Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the withdrawal process will involve approval from the Cabinet, parliament, and president before officially notifying the United Nations. The entire procedure could take approximately six months.
Regarding the production of landmines, Bejda confirmed that Poland’s state-owned defense group PGZ will be involved.
Meanwhile, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds emphasized that Latvia is exploring all possible measures to enhance its defense and deterrence capabilities. He stated that, given the ongoing threat posed by Russia, withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention could enable the production of anti-personnel mines as part of national security efforts.
