Russia is throwing waves of men at a key city in scenes like a 'zombie movie', Ukrainian soldier says

• Russia is pushing hard to seize the Ukrainian city Avdiivka.
• A Ukrainian drone operator likened it to a zombie movie, AFP reported.

Russia has been throwing waves of soldiers against the city of Avdiivka in scenes a Ukrainian soldier likened to a zombie movie, the AFP news agency reported.

Russia has tried to take the city, hoping to break the stalemate with Ukrainian forces in east Ukraine.

A Ukrainian drone operator who goes under the call sign "Trauma" told AFP that Russia initially attempted to encircle the city with armored vehicles in October.

"Columns of tanks and armored personnel carriers were advancing," the Ukrainian drone operator told the AFP.

"But they fell into minefields, were hit by drones and anti-tank missiles."

Then, Russia attacked Ukrainian positions head on using infantry units, the report said. They were repelled by Ukrainian forces using artillery, mortars, grenades, drones and cannons fired from US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

The soldier told the AFP that Russian units advance overnight in units of five to seven then attack in the morning.

"Some die, others keep on coming. It's like a zombie movie," Trauma said.

The tactics used by Russia resemble those it used to seize control of Bakhmut, another strategically vital town close to the front line.

Russia threw waves of troops at Ukrainian positions, many of them convicts recruited into the Wagner mercenary group to launch attacks on Ukrainian positions.

The Wagner leader, Yevgenvy Prigozhin, who was killed in a mysterious plane explosion after leading a failed mutiny in June, described the situation as a "meat grinder."

Before his death, he said around 20,000 men had been killed in the attacks, and was fiercely critical of the Kremlin's military leaders over alleged failings in the Ukraine campaign.

For months, Ukrainian and Russian forces have been deadlocked in a front line stretching from east to south Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces seeking to make advances in the south, and Russian forces in Avdiivka.