MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Russian forces are seizing Ukrainian army positions and aligning the defense line in the Kupyansk area, as they are just a few kilometers away from the city's limits, Vitaly Ganchev, the head of the Kharkov Region’s military-civilian administration, told the Solovyov Live TV channel.

"Just a few kilometers," he said answering a question about how far Russian forces are from Kupyansk. "They are taking more favorable positions outside certain settlements, positions which Ukrainians held yesterday. Their counterattacks are rebuffed, our military take their positions and, depending on the usability of the location, the defense line is formed and aligned," Ganchev said.

He pointed to the good pace with which Russian forces were advancing. "I am sure that in the near future the front line will be aligned for a large-scale offensive on Kharkov," the official added.