Austin remains in hospital. Pentagon tells about condition of US Secretary of Defense

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains in hospital in "good condition" after treatment for prostate cancer.

This is announced in the statement of the US Department of Defense, the BBC writes.

So, the statement said that Austin has returned to some of his duties and is "in contact with his management."

The Pentagon added that there is currently no specific date for his release from the hospital.

In a statement released on Saturday, Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said Austin "has full access to the necessary secure communications and continues to monitor [Department of Defense's] day-to-day operations around the world."

It is recalled that 70-year-old Austin was admitted to the intensive care unit on January 1 due to complications from an operation performed in late December. But senior officials of the Department of Defense and the White House learned about his serious illness only three days later.

His secret hospitalization is said to have raised concerns about safety and transparency, prompting three White House investigations into the handling of his health crisis.

Austin came under fire for not informing senior officials of his treatment for several days, and has since apologized for not "ensuring the public was adequately informed." President Joe Biden supported him, but called it "suboptimal" that he did not disclose the seriousness of his illness.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin gave orders and coordinated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen while in a hospital and using secure communications.