Russia defense minister Sergei Shoigu held rare telephone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, after pro-Kremlin officials said they were turning Ukraine's southern city of Kherson into a "fortress" as Ukrainian forces advance.

Few details emerged of the conversation between defense head of Russia and US, but both sides confirmed they had discussed Ukraine issue.

A US military spokesman said, "Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,"

It was only the second call between the ministers since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24. Back in May, Austin had urged Moscow to implement an "immediate ceasefire".

At the time, Russia's invading forces had been beaten back from the capital Kyiv but were making steady gains in the eastern Donbas and Kharkiv regions and had consolidated their position in the south.
Six months on, however, Ukraine's forces have pushed back.

Kyiv's forces in recent weeks, aided by Western weapons, have been advancing along the west bank of the Dnieper river towards the region's main city Kherson.

The first major city to fall to Moscow's troops, retaking it would be a significant prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive.

Kyiv said on Friday it had retaken a total of 88 towns and villages in the region since launching its offensive to retake Kherson in the late summer while President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the capture of Russian arms by his forces in the region.

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque