MOSCOW, Jan. 8 (Sputnik) - US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is still in the hospital and there is no specific date for his release yet, the US Defense Department said on Monday.

"Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center but is recovering well and in good spirits. Since resuming his duties on Friday evening, the Secretary has received operational updates and has provided necessary guidance to his team… While we do not have a specific date for his release at this time, we will continue to provide updates on the Secretary’s status as they become available," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Ryder added that on Saturday, Austin held talks with US President Joe Biden.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that Austin had been hospitalized four days prior after he experienced complications following an elective medical procedure. NBC News reported on Saturday that the US defense secretary spent four days in the intensive care unit following his hospitalization. Politico reported later that the Pentagon had kept the White House in the dark about Austin's hospitalization for three days and notified Congress 15 minutes before releasing the official statement.