AnewZ Morning Brief - 9 September, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know...
Finland and Lithuania are set to begin domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year after announcing plans to quit the Ottawa Convention, citing the threat from Russia.
Finland and Lithuania are preparing to start producing anti-personnel landmines domestically from next year to strengthen their own defences and supply Ukraine, officials from the two NATO member states told Reuters.
The two countries, which border Russia, have declared their intention to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning the use of such mines. Production could begin once the six-month withdrawal process is completed.
Three other NATO and EU states, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, are also leaving the treaty due to security concerns over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. While they have not announced production plans, Poland and Latvia indicated they could start quickly if needed, and Estonia is keeping it as a possible future option.
Ukraine has also withdrawn from the treaty to defend itself better against Russia, which is not a party to the agreement. Both sides have accused each other of using anti-personnel mines during the war.
The moves by Finland and Lithuania reflect mounting concerns in Europe about Russia’s military ambitions beyond Ukraine, amid NATO pledges to boost defence spending in line with demands by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lithuania’s Deputy Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa said the country would spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Tens of thousands, or more, would be ordered, with national industry as a key supplier. Vincas Jurgutis, head of Lithuania’s defence industry association, said the country would be in a position to supply mines to Ukraine once production is established.
Finland, which shares a 1,340 km border with Russia, also plans to produce mines domestically for its security. Heikki Autto, chair of Finland’s parliamentary defence committee, called them a highly effective and cost-efficient weapons system, adding that Finland should support Ukraine as part of its own security interests.
Before joining the Ottawa treaty in 2011, Finland held over 1 million anti-personnel landmines. Several Finnish defence companies have expressed interest in producing them, although they declined to comment publicly.
Anti-personnel mines, which can remain dangerous long after conflicts end, have drawn criticism from campaigners who warn reintroducing them will be costly and could harm civilians. However, the five NATO countries withdrawing from the treaty stress they will not create minefields during peacetime but will store the mines for quick deployment if needed.
Poland has designated zones along its eastern frontier for potential mining within days, while Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur described production as an option in their “back pocket”. Latvia’s defence ministry said it has the capability for production if required.
Poland’s state-owned defence group PGZ S.A. said it would be ready to produce millions of mines if needed, while private munitions maker ZSP Niewiadów plans to restart large-scale production in 2027.
The countries emphasise that any minefields will be marked and cleared after conflicts, viewing such munitions as a deterrent. “When we have them in storage, that is the best guarantee that they will never have to be used,” Autto said.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A New Zealand fugitive father shot dead by police put his children at risk with his actions and had "no regard" for their safety, authorities said on Tuesday, as police found quad bikes and ammunition at their campsite hideout.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone at a port in Tunisia, though all six passengers and crew were safe.
Thailand's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail because his detention in a VIP wing of a hospital in lieu of prison was unlawful, in another major blow for a powerful family that has dominated politics for two decades.
Israel's military on Tuesday ordered residents to evacuate from Gaza City ahead of a new offensive to seize the Strip's largest urban centre, part of a planned takeover stirring international alarm over the fate of the entire territory.
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