Ukraine forces secure town on frontline river

Ukraine's forces have secured all of Kupyansk, driving Russian troops from their remaining positions on the east bank of the river that divides the northeastern Ukrainian town.

The bulk of Kupyansk, 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.

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.

The corpses of Russian soldiers litter the streets of the newly liberated eastern side of Kupyansk as Ukrainian forces secure streets and volunteers ferry food aid across a destroyed bridge and assist other residents back across.