Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has advised his citizens to avoid going outside in the present situation.

"Do not go out! You should know that you and our children are being used as cannon fodder!" Lukashenko was quoted by the BelTA state news agency as saying at a meeting with the national Security Council on Friday.

He also urged parents of teenagers and young people to keep on their children. "I understand that some parents, [with children] at this age, 16-17 years (I am all too familiar with that) are at times unable to control their children, especially boys. Well, you should ask us, we will help: we will talk to the children, get them busy with something. Why does it have to get to this point and then we have to deal with all these issues?" he said.

"Today I cannot accuse anyone of anything. I can't. Because you see what the situation is going. The only thing, I'll ask both the ministers and others: after all, we are Slavs, if someone falls and is lying, he should not be beaten. There has to be a certain brake," Lukashenko said.

"But when someone sneaks up from behind and hits police guys in the back, that's not manly, this is base... And the guy doubles up, his spine is broken, he is disabled for life," the president said.