mothers inside Russia where they
could be jailed for what they're
saying for speaking out is
significant.
The pressure inside Russia comes
as we're getting new video of
Ukraine taking out a devastating
weapon that Putin has been using
to inflict mass casualties on
the front lines.
You've heard about the
thermobaric weapons.
This is the multiple rocket
launcher system.
And we've talked about them from
the beginning of the war because
they're horrific.
They're banned under the Geneva
convention for a reason because
they suck the oxygen out of
people's lungs.
And Russia's been using it in
Ukraine.
Ukraine take that one out.
And Putin's forces are suffering
major losses on the battlefield.
However, he is still fighting
and he is celebrating a big win
tonight.
Tonight the government of
Switzerland announcing it will
not confiscate Russian assets,
saying it's unconstitutional to
do this.
Russian oligarchs do stash
massive amounts of money in
Switzerland, up to $40 billion.
This isn't the money of everyday
Russians.
Switzerland is where oligarchs
and Putin's inner circle have
long played.
It's the reported home of
Putin's ex-wife.
We've highlighted it at the base
of a mountain in Davos where of
course the powerful and rich
just recently met.
And according to the "Wall
Street journal," Putin's
girlfriend, the Russian olympic
gymnast has resided in a
high-walled mansion near Geneva.
Switzerland now still says it's
committed to supporting Ukraine.
But the reality is, is that
money is what is fueling Putin's
major offensive.
It is what will fuel an
offensive that may very well --
I'm sorry, include a new front
from Belarus.
The "Financial times" reporting
that western intelligence shows
Russian aircraft gathering at
the Belarusian border with
Ukraine, signaling what could be
a major -- and they say -- an
imminent air offensive.
Fred pleitgen is "Outfront."
He is in Minsk, Belarus,
tonight.
You had rare access to the
border between Belarus and
Ukraine today.
This is the border that all eyes
around the world are on to see
what Putin is really gathering,
what's happening there.
You were there.
What did you see?
>> Reporter: Yeah, and so much
concern on the Ukrainian side
about that border.
I was just on the Ukrainian side
of that border a couple of weeks
ago.
And the Ukrainians really are
worried that Putin could use
Belarus once again for a launch
pad.
The access that we got today was
part of a Belarusian government
organized trip, with all the
restrictions of that entailed.
But we certainly get some pretty
interesting insights.
Here's what we saw.
As Russian forces ramp up their
assault at eastern Ukraine, Kyiv
believes the Kremlin's massive
spring offensive may already be
well underway.
And Russian president Vladimir
Putin could again use Belarus as
a launching pad for attacks.
On a visit organized by the
Belarusian government, we saw
the Ukrainians aren't taking any
chances.
The Belarusians say from their
side, this border crossing is
open, but you can see over there
that's Ukrainian territory, and
over there that crossing is
definitely shut.
There are several layers of
barbed wire and Earth mounts to
make sure no one can get
through.
Russia launched its main thrust
towards Kyiv through Belarus
almost a year ago, penetrating
all the way to the Gates of
Ukraine's capital before its
forces were decimated and
retreated.
Today, the situation of the
belarusian/ukrainian border
remains tense.
Although this crossing is
usually calm, even here some
trolling.
The Ukrainians fly the white,
red white flag, one of the many
provocations the Belarusians say
and they've beefed up their own
forces here.
>> Translator: Mainly border
guard units have been expanded.
Before it was two people.
Now it's three or five.
The armament and equipment were
also updated.
>> Reporter: Belarus says all
the measures they're taking here
are purely defensive.
But Minsk recently conducted
large-scale air force drills
with the Russian military, and
the U.S. Believes Russia is
amassing aircraft near Ukraine's
border.
Putin recently hinting he's even
considering placing nukes into
Belarus.
>> Translator: I consider it
possible to continue the
implementation of the president
of Belarus' proposals on
training the crews of combat
aircraft of the army of Belarus,
which have been converted for
the possible use of air-launched
ammunition with a special war
head.
>> Reporter: Belarusian
president Alexander lukashenko
acknowledging he needs Putin.
>> Translator: Let's be honest.
Are we capable alone without
Russia to defend our sovereignty
and Independence?
We are not.
>> Reporter: In the towns near
the belarusian/ukrainian border,
the war next door weighs
heavily.
>> Translator: It makes me cry,
of course.
It is scary.
You are afraid for the people
there.
And of course you want to
influence the situation somehow.
But I am an ordinary person.
>> Reporter: Others fully in
Putin's corner.
I ask this man if he thinks
Belarus should support Russia.
>> Translator: We are one nation
with Russia.
We absolutely should help them.
>> Reporter: For now, all is
quiet at the
belarusian/ukrainian border.
A nervous calm folks here hope
will hold somehow.
For the moment, both the
Ukrainians and the U.S. Believe
that the Russians don't have
enough ground forces here in
Belarus right now to launch a
ground offensive.
But they also say that missile
attacks, for instance, and drone
attacks are very much being
launched from Belarusian
territory towards Ukraine.
Now the next big event that
we're going to be looking at is
Friday when Belarusian president
Alexander lukashenko is going to
be in Russia speaking with
Vladimir Putin there.
And we'll see then how things
move forward and whether or not
Belarus will be drawn even
deeper into this war.
Erin?
>> All right, Fred pleitgen,
thank you very much for your
crucial reporting there, and on
the border and of course tonight
from Minsk.
Retired air force colonel
Leighton.
And also professor of
international affairs.
Colonel, let me start with you.
Fred just showing us what's
happening in Belarus.
As he's very clear to say, you
don't just go to Belarus and
film what you want to film.
This was a government-allowed
tour.
But nonetheless, he had eyes on
the ground where really no one
from the west has eyes on the
ground.
So how concerned should Ukraine
be about what's happening in
Belarus and about this amassing
is the word that's being used of
Russian air force in Belarus?
>> I think they should be very
concerned.
And the reason for that is is
that Belarus was a launching pad
for the initial invasion last
year.
When you look at that, you see
that this is not going to be a
ground movement, it looks like,
because there are no really
Russian formations that are
showing up there on the ground,
Russian infantry formations or
anything like that.
But there are air formations
that are showing up.
And the way that Putin and
lukashenko have spoken about
this, it's very clear that they
intend to use Belarusian air
space to launch missiles against
the Ukrainians.
>> We hear obviously the Russian
state media reporter talking
about ammunition shortages,
there are issues on the ground.
And we're well aware of those.
But at home, those Russian
mothers that we saw, we've heard
complaints, but they were very
clear gathering in a group and
very critical of how their
children are being treated.
Here's a little bit more of what
they said.
They did use Putin's name
directly.
Here's what else they said to
him.
>> Translator: Some of the men
on the front lines are suffering
from fever and wounds.
They have neither been seen by
doctors nor referred to health
specialists when requested to
resolve their ongoing health
conditions.
>> They're going through the
detail saying that their son's
only had two days on a shooting
range to even go there and no
medical supplies, they can't
come home.
Do their words at this point
signal anything to you?
>> Oh, absolutely.
And the fact that it is shown on
state TV, the fact that it is
being reported by Russian
correspondents, the war
correspondents, it's very
important because what the
government is now doing, what
Putin is now doing is to say,
look, we've never been in this
position, we haven't done war
since 1945 since World War II,
and we understand it's
difficult.
We are trying to change it,
we're trying to make it better.
But they are not hiding it, and
it's very important because
that's how Putin thinks he's
going to get ahead of the game,
admitting mistakes, saying, yes,
it is all horrible, but it is
for the good of the nation and
we are trying to fix it.
Very loudly and quite often he
meets with his officials and he
says, well, now my order is you
take care of all the problems.
The problems need to be solved,
in all the regions they need to
be solved.
The governors of the regions go
to the front lines and talk to
the soldiers.
So they try to stay ahead of it
in order to say this is our
problem for the whole country,
and we are going to be
victorious.
>> And then of course the
complaints still come at some
point there's only so much you
can say.
Oh, I'll help you solve it when
it doesn't resolve.
I guess that's the big question
in the context, colonel, of what
that state media correspondent
posted today, which is, oh,
don't worry, we're going to win
bakhmut, but the Wagner group
doesn't have enough artillery --
I'm sorry, ammunition.
And by the way, they also have
issues with artillery and tanks
and other things but
specifically ammunition.
>> That's really their Achilles
hill, if you will.
And when you see that problem,
the very fact that they can't
supply even -- even though it's
private, private in quotation
marks, Wagner group, that is
really going to be a real
problem for them.
There's only so much papering
over that you can do.
What Nina was saying is that
this is the perfect way to try
to obfuscate what's going on.
Except if you don't have the
resources no matter what you