Russia's defense minister held rare telephone talks with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after pro-Kremlin officials said they were turning Ukraine's southern city of Kherson into a 'fortress' as Kyiv's forces advance.
Few details emerged of the conversation between Russia's Sergei Shoigu and Austin but both sides confirmed they had discussed Ukraine.
'Topical issues of international security - including the situation in Ukraine - were discussed,' said Russia's defense ministry.
'Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,' said a Washington spokesman.
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 force 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, also called Kherson.
The first major city to fall to Moscow's troops, retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive.
Kyiv said 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.
Moscow-installed authorities in the region on Friday accused Kyiv's forces of attacking a bridge being used by civilians.
'Four people were killed,' pro-Moscow official Kirill Stremousov said on Telegram. 'The city of Kherson, like a fortress, is preparing for its defence.'
Russian investigators said later two of the dead were journalists and that 13 people had been wounded.
A Ukrainian military spokeswoman Nataliya Gumenyuk denied Kyiv's forces were responsible, saying they did not target local populations.