Kolima Copper/Zinc Exploration Permit Issued, Pyhasalmi Mining District, Finland

(via TheNewswire)   August 24, 2026 – TheNewswire - Avrupa Minerals Ltd. (AVU:TSXV) is pleased to announce that the issuance of the Kolima exploration permit, located in the Pyhäsalmi Mining District in Central Finland, has cleared all appeals and is now fully issued to Akkerman Finland (AFOy).  AFOy is owned by Avrupa (49%) and Akkerman Exploration B.V. (51%).  The partnership holds a portfolio of seven copper/zinc VMS projects in the Pyhäsalmi Mining District and one shear-hosted, orogenic gold prospect in the Oijärvi Greenstone Belt, also located in Central Finland.   The Kolima prospect is located 60 km south of the Pyhäsalmi Mine.  The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) worked the prospect area intermittently between 1956 and 1993 and outlined an area, approximately 200-400 meters wide and 2,000 meters long, of disseminated zinc-lead mineralization and thin semi-massive sulfide stringers containing pyrite, sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite.  The mineralization is hosted by metasediments and volcaniclastic   Figure 1.   Map of AFOy exploration permits in the Pyhäsalmi District.  Note Kolima location approximately 60 km south of the Pyhäsalmi Mine. rocks, and is interpreted to be a possible distal mineral facies of a yet-to-be-discovered massive sulfide system.   According to AFOy reports, “Some 40 years of investigations by the GTK, including more than 10,000 m of drilling in 80 holes within the Kolima Reservation, have outlined an important zone of distal-type VMS mineralization. This zone, named the Kärnä prospect, extends over a strike length of 2 km and is open at depth and along strike to the south. It is hosted by a package of marine metasediments (biotite-garnet gneiss) and fine volcaniclastics, overlain by post-mineral mafic volcanics.”   Figure 2.   Geological targeting map of the Kärnä prospect showing known distal-style zinc mineralization located to the northwest and proximal-style target area located to the south and southeast.   For a number of geological reasons, AFOy suggests that the area in yellow on the prospect map above has high potential for proximal VMS targeting.  These reasons include:   The prospective horizon for a large VMS deposit is represented by a lead-zinc bearing series of biotite-garnet gneiss intercalated with fine volcanic ash and tuff.     This target horizon overlies a thicker package of proximal volcanics to the south and southeast intersected by several scout holes drilled in the late 1970’s and is covered by post-mineral sequence of mafic volcanics.     The known part of the mineral horizon is present in the core of an anticlinal structure in the Kärnä prospect over an area of 200-400 m wide and 2,000 m long below mafic lavas and agglomerates with a high magnetic signature.     At the Kärnä prospect, there is a trend of higher grades and thickness of the zinc-lead-bearing metasediments to the south coincident with increasing proportion of felsic volcanoclastic rocks.     Apart from the cluster of mineralized boulders in the Kärnä area, mineralized boulders have also been found further south in several trails and clusters. These include boulders with more copper +/- gold rather than zinc-lead, indicative of more proximal, higher temperature VMS-style mineralization. The origin of these copper-rich boulders has not yet been found.     Scout holes drilled south and east of the Kärnä prospect encountered thick packages of felsic volcaniclastics and flows indicative of a more proximal location to one or more eruptive volcanic centers.     Paul W. Kuhn, President/CEO of Avrupa Minerals, noted, “We are pleased that the Kolima permit has now been issued without encumbrance, and is ready for further exploration work.  The next step will be to permit selected scout drill hole collars in the target area.  The area is part of our Pyhäsalmi VMS project portfolio, and we look forward to moving the project forward.”   Avrupa Minerals Ltd. is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company directed to discovery of valuable mineral deposits, using a hybrid project generator business model.  Avrupa is actively advancing seven copper-zinc VMS targets and one orogenic gold prospect in central Finland through its partnership with Akkerman Exploration B.V. in the Finnish exploration company, Akkerman Finland Oy.  Avrupa holds one 100%-owned project in Portugal, the Alvalade VMS Project, and has submitted an application for a mining license covering the Sesmarias Cu/Zn massive sulfide showing within the Project area.  The Company holds one 49%-owned exploration license covering the Slivova Gold Project in Kosovo, optioned to Western Tethyan Resources.  Avrupa continues to focus its project generation work in politically stable and prospective regions of Europe, and looks to develop new opportunities around the general Mediterranean Basin.  The Company is actively seeking new JV partnerships for its projects in Finland and Portugal.   For additional information, contact Avrupa Minerals Ltd. at 1-604-687-3520 or visit our website at www.avrupaminerals.com .     On behalf of the Board,   “Paul W. Kuhn”                                 Paul W. Kuhn, President & Director     This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for its content.  Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals, a Licensed Professional Geologist and a Registered Member of the Society of Mining Engineers, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.  He has reviewed the technical disclosure in this release.  Mr. Kuhn, the QP, has not only reviewed, but prepared and supervised the preparation or approval of the scientific and technical content in the news release.   Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.