European defence stocks surged on Wednesday following the alarming incursion of Russian drones across Poland's frontier, which escalated regional tensions to unprecedented levels.

Shares in FTSE 100 heavyweight BAE Systems concluded the London trading session up 2.1 per cent at 1,830p, whilst Italy's Leonardo climbed 2.4 per cent, Germany's Rheinmetall advanced 3.3 per cent and France's Thales gained 3 per cent, as reported by City AM .

These movements collectively added £5.2bn to the market valuations of the quartet of companies.

Polish president Donald Tusk declared that Polish airspace had been "violated" by a "huge number" of Russian drones, with several intercepted by Nato pilots.

The episode triggered extensive discussions between Tusk, Keir Starmer and fellow European leader

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