News – January 2026

  • Finland’s withdrawal from Ottawa Convention to take effect

    January 10, 2026

    Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention will take effect on 10 January. Finland remains committed to the humanitarian objectives of the Ottawa Convention. Finland’s decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention was based on an assessment of Finland’s defence needs in the deteriorated security environment. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has profoundly changed ...

  • Ukraine: $70M in Taxpayer Money Stolen by Land Mine Company

    January 9, 2026

    A Ukrainian company contracted to manufacture critically needed land- and anti-personnel mines for the front pocketed nearly Hr.3 billion ($69.8 million) in taxpayer money and instead sent small volumes of munitions that frequently failed to function and sometimes blew up as troops handled them, a senior Kyiv law enforcement official announced Friday. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan ...

  • Belgium supports Iraqi mine action sector

    January 8, 2026

    The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) acknowledged Belgium’s ongoing financial assistance for the mission in Iraq. According to a statement released by the UNMAS, the contribution improves cooperative efforts with the Iraqi government and other partners to protect people from explosive ordnance and to provide safe and long-term access to land and key services for ...

  • Cambodia: China Donates Tools to Support Demining Operations

    January 8, 2026

    China has donated various equipment to support Cambodia’s demining efforts, in the form of metal detectors, tools, equipment and vehicles that will aid the Kingdom’s goal of becoming landmine free. During a ceremony on January 8, Ly Thuch, First Vice-President of Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA), and Wang Winpin, Chinese ambassador in Cambodia, attended a ceremony ...

  • Ukraine moves to digital planning of humanitarian demining

    January 7, 2026

    In 2026, humanitarian demining of Ukraine’s deoccupied territories will be planned using a new approach – leveraging modern digital solutions. This was discussed at the final meeting of the National Mine Action Authority, chaired by Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Shevtsov. A key innovation was the presentation of a digital platform developed ...

  • Lebanon: Chinese peacekeepers obtain UN mine clearance, EOD qualifications

    January 7, 2026

    BEIRUT, Jan. 7 — A total of 69 members of the 24th Chinese peacekeeping force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) successfully passed the assessment by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and obtained the UN mine clearance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) qualifications on January 5, 2026. The mine clearance and ...

  • Israel: Defense Ministry clears old minefields as work expands on Jordan border security barrier

    January 7, 2026

    The Defense Ministry says it has expanded work on a new security barrier along the Jordanian border, with authorities destroying hundreds of old landmines in the area. According to the ministry, the Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Authority carried out controlled detonations yesterday to clear three minefields, destroying some 500 anti-tank mines laid in the area ...

  • UK: ‘Wartime bomb’ discovered near Birmingham New Street line

    January 6, 2026

    Train services heading out of Birmingham have been disrupted following the discovery of a ‘wartime bomb’ near the railway, impacting CrossCountry services, according to traffic monitoring service Inrix. West Midlands Police has confirmed that an old mortar device has been found at Duddeston Mill Trading Estate in Washwood Heath. An evacuation has been carried out, with a ...