Despite international bans, landmines are back in force
It was considered a major achievement when most countries in the world agreed to ban anti-personnel mines in the 1990s. But given the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in Europe is changing.
Landmines, despite international bans, are once again being utilized, leading to devastating consequences for civilians, particularly children. Raheela Bibi, a 12-year-old Pakistani girl, lost both her hands and her sister suffered a severe leg injury when a landmine exploded in 2020. In 2025, over 5,000 people were killed or injured by landmines or unexploded ordnance, with 90% of the victims in South Sudan being children.
Landmines were initially designed to injure adults, but in peacetime, they continue to pose a deadly threat to civilians, especially children.
Decades after the Yugoslav wars, which ended in 2001, landmines continue to claim lives in former Yugoslavia, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1999, there were approximately 25,000 landmine casualties annually. The Ottawa Treaty, signed by over 120 countries in 1997, aimed to ban anti-personnel landmines. However, China, India, Russia, and the US did not ratify the treaty.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, five European NATO countries and Ukraine have withdrawn from the treaty, raising concerns about a dangerous precedent.
Despite legal uncertainties, Ukraine reportedly uses landmines, mainly in Ukrainian-controlled territories and Russian-occupied areas. As of mid-2025, approximately 25% of Ukraine was affected by landmines and explosive ordnance. Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia also withdrew from the treaty, with Poland planning to produce and purchase landmines.
The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor has highlighted that while old mines continue to be cleared, new ones are being laid in countries like Ukraine and Myanmar, exacerbating the issue.
Humanitarian arms control, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, was the only area with relatively stable progress. However, the expiration or termination of major arms control agreements, such as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, New Start Treaty, and Treaty on Open Skies, has put humanitarian arms control at risk. The only remaining effective area of arms control is humanitarian, according to Simone Wisotzki from the Leibniz Peace Research Institute.
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