Stocks in Poland declined following drone breaches
In a series of unexpected events, Poland and Belarus found themselves in the midst of an airspace violation involving a large number of drones overnight on September 10.
According to reports from the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, published in their Telegram channel, the drones approached the borders of Belarus, not specifying their origin. Simultaneously, Pavel Muraveiko, the Chief of the General Staff - First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, reported that drones also approached the borders of Belarus from Ukraine. Andrei Ordash, Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Poland, corroborated this claim, stating that the drones entered Polish territory from Ukraine.
However, the name of the Russian Chargé d'Affaires in Poland at the time of the drone airspace violation over Poland has not been disclosed in the available sources. Additionally, no evidence was provided in the Belarusian report that the drones were of Russian origin, and the Russian Ministry of Defense refused to comment on the incident.
On the Polish side, Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that the drones were Russian. However, the Polish side provided no evidence to support this claim, according to Ordash. Muraveiko, on the other hand, stated that the drones lost their course due to the influence of radio-electronic warfare means of the parties, without directly attributing the drones to any specific nation.
The incident had a ripple effect on the financial markets, with the WIG20 index, a benchmark for the Warsaw Stock Exchange, dropping 0.44% as of 16:00 Moscow time on September 10. The Russian Ministry of Defense, in a separate statement, mentioned that the maximum flight range of the drones is 700 km.
Notably, the report from the Belarusian Ministry of Defense did not mention the WIG20 index or its drop. Muraveiko did notify the Polish and Lithuanian sides 'about the approach of unknown aerial vehicles to the territory of their countries.'
The Russian Ministry of Defense is ready to discuss the incident with the Ministry of Defense of Poland. As the investigation continues, the origin and purpose of these drones remain a mystery, with both Poland and Belarus seeking clarification from their respective diplomatic channels.
On September 10, the WIG20 index experienced its biggest drop in two weeks, falling by 2.6%. The impact of the drone incident on the financial markets and its long-term implications remain to be seen.
