Video released by the Kremlin shows Russian President Vladimir Putin holding a high-level meeting in the Russian capital as Moscow’s armed forces launch a new massive attack on Ukrainian cities, Reuters reports.

On Wednesday, Putin met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who during the meeting expressed his disappointment that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a six-member military alliance led by Russia, had not come to his country’s aid during new attacks by Azerbaijan. from September.

Despite the smiles and handshakes for official photos, Pashinyan made clear Armenia’s frustration with the lack of intervention by Russia and the alliance it is part of with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

“It is depressing that Armenia’s membership in the CSTO did not deter Azerbaijan from aggressive actions. We could not get an answer from the CSTO regarding Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia,” he accused.

“These facts cause serious damage to the image of the CSTO both inside our country and abroad, and I consider this the main failure of the Armenian chairmanship of the CSTO,” he emphasized.

Like other international institutions, the CSTO is governed by a rotating presidency of member countries.

On September 14, Armenia directly asked Russia and other members of the alliance to intervene, including militarily, in its support, but received only promises to send observers.

Pashinyan also noted on Wednesday that this situation is radically different from the decision in January, when the CSTO quickly sent “peacekeeping troops” to Kazakhstan to support the president during unprecedented protests in the country.

A new wave of attacks by Russian troops on Ukraine

On Wednesday afternoon, new missile strikes were reported on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zhytomyr and Lviv, some of the largest Ukrainian cities. Explosions also occurred in the Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia regions.

Several cities reported power outages and drinking water problems. The extent of the damage is not yet fully known, but the entire Kyiv region was left without power after Russian airstrikes hit critical infrastructure. This was announced by the head of the regional military administration Oleksiy Kuleba.

An air alert was declared across Ukraine before Wednesday’s attacks, with the Interfax Ukraine news agency initially reporting explosions in several regions of the country’s south and southeast.

Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko also reported on the Telegram messenger about the termination of water supply.

“This is the worst winter since the Second World War,” the mayor of Kyiv told the German newspaper Bild, adding that the city’s residents should be prepared for the “worst-case scenario” of power outages in winter.

The Republic of Moldova remains in the dark because of Russian attacks

Shortly after the start of this new wave of attacks on Ukraine, the press on the Prut wrote that the Republic of Moldova was left without energy due to Russian bombing.

“Dear citizens, today the situation of November 15 is repeated. After Russia’s bombing of the Ukrainian power system in the last hour, we have large-scale power outages across the country. Moldelectrica is working to restore the electricity connection. I will return with additional information as soon as possible”, – confirmed Deputy Prime Minister Andrii Spinu.

Last week’s Russian attacks also caused a massive power outage in the Republic of Moldova, leaving several regions of the country in the dark.

In an interview given to PRO TV Chisinau today immediately after the new wave of Russian bombings, the director of the energy company Moldoelectrica Sergiu Aparatu told ProTV Chisinau that:

“The system started working automatically, just like on November 15. The system is disconnected, we are slowly trying to build a system from energy carriers to consumers.”

Asked by reporters if he could name the areas that had been cut off, he exclaimed:

“- The whole country!”.

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, also accused that “Russia left Moldova in the dark.”

“Russia’s war in Ukraine kills people, destroys residential buildings and energy infrastructure with missiles. Attacks in Ukraine continue even now. People pull out their wounded from under the rubble. And mourn their dead loved ones. People’s lives cannot be turned back,” she said.

Follow the latest events of the 273rd day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.