US, Russian Defense Chiefs Talk as fighting rages in Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers fire the Russian positions with the mortar in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Oct. 21, 2022. (AP)

WASHINGTON: The top U.S. and Russian defense officials spoke by phone for the first time in months Friday, as Russian officials indicated a new openness to possible negotiations and as Ukrainian forces edged closer to the Russian-occupied southern port city of Kherson.