Russia's war on Ukraine latest: NATO criticizes Putin's nuclear rhetoric

NATO slammed Vladimir Putin for "dangerous" nuclear rhetoric after the Russian president announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, while Russian forces intensified shelling of the frontline Ukrainian city of Avdiivka.

Ukraine criticized Putin's plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session to address the move.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Belarus not to host Russian nuclear weapons, saying it could face further sanctions if it did. Lithuania said it would call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk in response to Russia's plan.

A top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian plans would destabilize Belarus, which he said had been taken "hostage" by Moscow.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States had seen no sign that Putin had moved any nuclear weapons. "We've in fact seen no indication that he has any intention to use nuclear weapons – period - inside Ukraine," Kirby told U.S. broadcaster CBS on Sunday. * Russia and China are not creating a military alliance and the cooperation between their armed forces is "transparent", Putin said in comments broadcast on Sunday, days after hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the Kremlin.

Two people were killed and 29 wounded on Monday after Russian forces fired two S-300 missiles at the eastern city of Sloviansk northwest of Bakhmut, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a video of smoldering debris and vowed that "Ukraine will not forgive" such attacks. Moscow denies targeting civilians.

Inside Russia, the defense ministry said it had downed a Ukrainian drone on Sunday, adding three people were injured and apartment blocks were damaged in the attack south of Moscow. Kyiv does not generally comment on reports of attacks inside Russia. The latest reported attack, on the town of Kireyevsk, in Tula region 220 km (140 miles) south of Moscow, appeared to be one of the closest yet to the Russian capital.

Russia is turning Ukraine's Avdiivka into "a place from post-apocalyptic movies", intensifying shelling and forcing a nearly full shutdown of the frontline city, the top local official said on Sunday.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said he will visit the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine this week to assess the situation.

"I am sad to say this, but Avdiivka is becoming more and more like a place from post-apocalyptic movies," the city's military administration head Vitaliy Barabash said on the Telegram messaging app.