Two Russian nuclear bombers were flying over Belarus today as the EU considered building a Trump-style wall in a stunning U-turn to end the migrant crisis.
The Kremlin called suggestions it is involved in the dispute 'crazy' but Vladimir Putin lent more support to tyrant Alexander Lukashenko when he dispatched two Tu-160 'White Swan' jets to carry out drills to 'simulate bombing' for the second day running.
Lukashenko is accused of weaponising migration by flying in refugees from the Middle East and North Africa and forcing them across the border into Poland.
European Council president Charles Michel stunned Brussels on Wednesday when he said a Trump-style wall could help shore up defences.
It would mark an extraordinary about-face for senior EU officials, who lambasted former US president Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for advocating similar policies.
Some 15,000 Polish soldiers have been deployed along the frontier to bar the migrants entry to the EU.
A Russian Tu-160 supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber over Belarus today
Two Russian nuclear bombers were flying over Belarus on Thursday amid soaring tensions at the EU border over the migrant crisis
A photo provided by the Belarusian state shows migrants camped at the border with Poland on Wednesday. Thousands have flocked to the frontier after being granted visas to travel into Belarus from the Middle East and North Africa
The Belarus defence ministry said on Thursday: 'A present two Tu-160 supersonic strategic missile-carrying bombers are practising a number of combat training missions, including simulating bombing at the Ruzhansky air range without using airborne weapons.
The Belarus air force was providing 'escort' to the Tu-160s over the country.
Russia's state-owned Aeroflot airline is accused of jetting thousands of migrants into Belarus via Moscow.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the EU was discussing targeting Aeroflot as part of a new sanctions package, citing an official from the bloc familiar with the plans.
Aeroflot shares were down 1.24 per cent at 10.35am in London.
Aeroflot AFLT.MM earlier on Thursday denied any involvement in organising mass transportation of migrants to Belarus.
'Information about the threat of imposing sanctions may have a material negative impact on the operating and financial activities of the company, and its capitalization,' the airline said.
'Aeroflot intends to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders in all possible legal ways, including the right to defend the interests of the company in court.'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned whether there really was such an idea to sanction Aeroflot and said he hoped it would not be realised in any case.
He told reporters on a conference call that Russia was concerned by rising
