"People must feel safe in their homes, at work, on the streets, at any time of the day," Lukashenka said in a video from a meeting with the country's top security bodies, posted on Pul Pervovo, a state outlet that reports on Lukashenka’s activities.

Although Lukashenka mentioned that the crime rate in Belarus was decreasing, he also highlighted the risk of crimes with an "extremist nature."

"Currently, the most crucial aspect of maintaining law and order is to curb the activities of thugs and prevent the loss of lives, who are not yet fully aware of the foreign curators targeting them," he said in the video clip.

"I caution the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, the special services, and everyone, including the prosecutor's office - that we need to take charge of this. Our patrol teams must be visible on the streets...These patrols must be equipped with small arms, at the least, pistols."

Lukashenka showed support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by permitting Moscow to utilize its territory to launch the war and also consented last year to station Russian tactical nuclear weapons in his country on Russia's western border.

Last week, he stated that several "saboteurs," including Ukrainian and Belarusian nationals, had been apprehended on the border of the two countries in a "counter-terrorist operation" and that similar groups were detained "two or three times a week."

In January, Belarusian authorities initiated an investigation into a group of 20 independent analysts and commentators who are now residing outside the country and accused them of plotting to seize power and promote extremism.

In power since 1994, Lukashenka instigated a new crackdown on dissent after quelling unprecedented protests against what his opponents claim was his fraudulent re-election in 2020.