Live Updates: Demonstrators Take to Streets of Belarusian Cities as Protests Enter Day 15 - Videos

There were no detentions during an opposition rally held in Minsk on Sunday, spokeswoman for the Belarusian Interior Ministry Olga Chemodanova told Sputnik.

"There were no people detained for committing offenses in Minsk [during the rally]. I will inform you additionally tomorrow about [detentions] across the country," Chemodanova.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday during his visit to the presidential palace in Minsk got outside the cordon and thanked the security forces for their work, promising to deal with protesters, the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, which is related to the president’s press office, reported.

Opposition protesters have earlier approached Lukashenko’s residence, which is guarded by security officers. The entrance to the palace is guarded by riot police with special equipment.

According to a video posted by Pul Pervogo, the security forces told Lukashenko that they would be with him until the end, to which the president responded that he would deal with the situation and thanked them.

"We will deal with them [protesters]," Lukashenko added.

Mass opposition protests broke out across Belarus following a presidential election on August 9 that saw Lukashenko reelected for a sixth term. While according to the electoral authorities Lukashenko collected over 80 percent of the vote, the opposition insists that its key contender, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election.

European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said as quoted by El Pais that today's problem for Belarusians is not the choice between Russia and Europe, but the achievement of freedom and democracy, which are the main values of the bloc.

Just as with Venezuela's Maduro, the EU refuses to recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president but acknowledges that he controls the government, hence Brussels must continue to deal with him, Borrell added.

За этой цепью — резиденция Лукашенко. Дорогу уже перегородили. Но там 200 000 толпа идёт. pic.twitter.com/SxVNC0cUdG

— Sergei Yakupov / Inostrannyi agent (@yakupov) August 23, 2020

"At 17:15, the Ploshchad Lenina, Oktyabrskaya, Kupalovskaya and Ploshchad Pobedy stations are open to passengers. Minsk Metropolitan apologises for the temporary inconvenience", the administration of the subway wrote on Telegram.

Earlier the abovementioned stations were closed due to "security reasons".

Площадь вокруг стелы "Минск — город-герой" оцепили военные. К ней также подъехали несколько машин со специальной заградительной проволокой.

Фото: ТАСС pic.twitter.com/oyDUlwpnhF

— Юрий (@yurgen977) August 23, 2020

MINSK (Sputnik) - Belarus would like to feel Ukraine's support in this difficult period rather than take one and the same advice that all countries propose, spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Anatoly Glaz said on Sunday, commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent statement on the situation in the neighboring country.

Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with Euronews broadcaster that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko should call a repeat election and allow observers to calm the protesters.

"You know, Ukraine is a brotherly country for us and the Ukrainian people are brotherly [people] for Belarusians. Therefore, of course, at this really difficult moment for our country, I would like to feel some kind of support or at least understanding, and not listen to advice that has already been proposed by all sides. Now, we definitely do not need it", Glaz said, as quoted by Belarus' Belta state-run news agency.

According to the spokesman, modern Ukraine does not have much experience in settling certain issues, and the results of its "political experiments certainly do not convince Ukrainians, and not only them, of its correctness and usefulness."

"In addition, we believe that the Ukrainian leadership will have much more important issues for many years, which need to be dealt with on a daily basis within their country, rather than giving advice to neighbours", Glaz added.

MINSK (Sputnik) - Minsk police said they have information about planned provocations during unauthorised protests in the city.

"Information is spreading on the Internet with calls to take part in illegal street protests today. Their goal is obvious - to undermine the situation and bring discord into society. The organisers of this process use people as consumables, persuading them to participate in illegal mass events with all the ensuing consequences", the head of the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Ivan Kubrakov, said.

He noted that city property is being damaged during these unauthorised actions.

"We have information about the upcoming provocations. Be prudent and restrained, stop your children from rash actions", Kubrakov added.

According to media reports, Belarusian opposition supporters from different districts of Minsk are currently gathering in the city center for the "March of New Belarus." The authorities are deploying military vehicles to the city centre.

The Interior Ministry documented 18 instances of legal violations related to public events during Saturday's protests. Some 26 citizens were detained for committing administrative offences, the ministry stated via Telegram.

"The situation in the capital is calm and under control... we have enhanced security measures in view of the planned opposition rally," Olga Chemodanova, an official representative of the Belarusian Interior Ministry, said.