[Central News Agency] The U.S. and Russian defense ministers had a rare call today as Ukraine made progress against Russian aggression.

The official readout of the conversation between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was scant, with the U.S. and Russia saying they were discussing Ukraine, AFP reported.

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Moscow noted that "the two sides discussed topics of international security, including the situation in Ukraine."

Washington said, "As the war in Ukraine continues, Secretary of Defense Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication."

This is the second time the U.S. and Russian defense ministers have spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

When the two first spoke in May, Austin urged Russia to "immediately cease fire" with Ukraine.

At that time, the Russian army withdrew from the attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and instead made steady progress in areas such as Donbas and Kharkiv in Ukrainian and consolidated southern strongholds.

After a lapse of 6 months, the Ukrainian army has successfully counterattacked, and its gains in the south are even more obvious.

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