Ukraine forces secure town on frontline river

KUPIANSK: Ukraine's forces have secured all of Kupiansk, driving Russian troops from their remaining positions on the east bank of the river that divides the northeastern Ukrainian town, AFP saw Thursday.

The bulk of Kupiansk, a major railway hub, was recaptured from Russian forces earlier this month in a lightning Ukrainian offensive to liberate Russian-occupied areas of the Kharkiv region.

But Russian troops held out for a while on the east bank of the Oskil river, across a smashed road bridge, and artillery duels continued as civilians fled into Ukrainian territory.

On Thursday, Ukrainian firefighters and civilian volunteers passed a first shipment of humanitarian food aid across the intact pedestrian passage on the bridge.

"This is going to be the first humanitarian aid distribution on the other bank," said Kupiansk's military administrator Andriy Kanashevych as 2,000 British-supplied food boxes were handed across.

Occasional mortar fire rang out, but on the east bank Ukrainian tanks and armoured vehicles manoeuvred past destroyed cars and trucks emblazoned with the Russian "Z" logo.

Reporters saw at least five corpses in Russian-style military fatigues lying by disabled vehicles with Russian markings.

In the industrial suburb of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, on the east bank of the Oskil five kilometres (three miles) south of the bridge, locals said the Russians had left as late as Tuesday.

But on Thursday there was an armoured personnel carrier and a platoon of Ukrainian troops in front of the district cultural centre, and at least two main battle tanks moving through the area.