MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Poland will officially withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, production, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, on February 20, Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk announced on Radio Zet.

"Poland is withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention on February 20 and, as a result, will be able to adopt and produce anti-personnel mines," Tomczyk stated.

This decision follows Poland’s announcement, along with the Baltic states and Finland, to withdraw from the treaty in March 2025. In July of that year, then-President Andrzej Duda signed into law the country's withdrawal, a move approved by the parliament. The Ottawa Convention, which came into force in 1999, has been ratified by 164 countries. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, anti-personnel mines cause significant civilian casualties and remain a persistent threat long after conflicts end.