Where Landmines Still Threaten Lives

Five European countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland - have said they want to withdraw from an international treaty to ban landmines, citing national security concerns over the ongoing war in Ukraine. Each withdrawing country has undergone a formal parliamentary-approval process, with the withdrawal of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania set to take effect on December 27, 2025, as Finland’s will do so on January 10, 2026 and Poland’s on February 20, 2026. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he is “gravely concerned” by the decisions, adding that it risks “weakening civilian protection and undermining two decades of a normative framework that has saved countless lives.”

A new report by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor reports that Ukraine has also asked to be suspended from certain treaty obligations as it is in a state of war and is fighting against Russia, which is not a part of the treaty and is using landmines extensively. The report states that there have been indications that Ukraine has been using new mines in 2024-2025, including devices seemingly deployed by drones, although the extent remains unclear.

Anti-personnel landmines have been prohibited by the United Nations since 1997, in a treaty now signed by 166 countries. Their use is heavily criticized due to their indiscriminate and devastating effects, the long-lasting threat posed by their presence and the painstaking efforts required to remove them. The latest signatory was the Marshall Islands, ratified on March 12, 2025, while Tonga acceded on June 25, 2025. However, 31 countries have not yet joined the treaty and as the latest data shows, large swathes of the world are still contaminated.

So far, a total of 32 member states have completed the clearance of all anti-personnel mines from their territory. Oman was the latest country to complete clearance in accordance with its deadline of 1 February 2025. However, at least 57 countries and territories remain contaminated, seven of which are “massively contaminated” (Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Türkiye and Ukraine). There are 32 treaty state parties with ongoing clearance obligation deadlines and 22 states that have not joined the treaty. In 2024, casualties from mines and ERW were recorded in a total of 52 countries and territories. Civilians accounted for 90 percent of these, where the military or civilian status was known.

As the Monitor explains, the negative effects of the presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war cannot be understated: "Both landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) pose a serious and ongoing threat to civilians. These weapons can be found on roads, footpaths, farmers’ fields, forests, deserts, along borders, in and surrounding houses and schools, and in other places where people are carrying out their daily activities. Mines and ERW deny access to food, water, and other basic needs, and inhibit freedom of movement. They endanger the initial flight and prevent the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid."