Russia has sent two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers into Belarusian airspace to carry out a patrol amid rising tensions on the border with Poland.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) sent two Tu-160 bombers into Belarusian airspace where they took part in a patrol with Su-30SM fighter jets from the Belarusian Air Force on 11th November.

The Russian MoD said the pilots completed the patrol successfully and demonstrated impeccable flying skills, adding that communication with their Belarusian counterparts took place throughout the entire flight.

The flight duration was 4 hours and 36 minutes. During this time, the strategic missile carriers covered a distance of over 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles).

The Russian MoD shared footage of the exercise with the message: “Two strategic missile carriers Tu-160 of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed patrols in the airspace of the Republic of Belarus, during which issues with the fighter cover by Su-30SM jets of the Belarusian Air Force were worked out. The pilots successfully completed the assigned task.”

Earlier this week, Russia sent two supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers into Belarusian airspace in a show of support for their neighbours amid rising tensions on the border with Poland.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has been accused of encouraging migrants, mainly from the Middle East, into his country only to send them to the Polish border in an alleged attempt to provoke a migrant crisis in Europe.

The international row started over a strong crackdown on anti-government protesters initiated by Lukashenko, who is widely known as “Europe’s last dictator”. The EU recently accused Belarus of taking part in state-sponsored ‘trafficking’.

In a statement released on 9th November, the United Nations (UN) urged states to ensure that the migrants’ human rights be respected. The UN also said that its refugee agency, the UNHCR, As well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), “issued a joint statement calling on States to ensure ‘the safety and human rights of migrants and refugees’.”

The statement also said: “The border became a flash point after the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus on the basis of alleged human rights violations, following the crackdown on protests, and the forcing down of a commercial flight between two EU nations by Belarus in May, in order to remove a leading dissident, according to news reports.

“The EU reportedly contends that in reprisal, Belarus has been deliberately assisting migrants to cross the border into Poland illegally, a charge which Belarus denies.”

But the UN said: “With several tragic deaths recently recorded at the border area amidst the onset of winter temperatures, the UN agencies reminded States that it is ‘imperative to prevent further loss of life’ and to treat migrants and refugees humanely, ‘as the highest priority’.”