Recent strikes are hitting at the core of Russia’s economy, but they are risky, and their ultimate impact is uncertain.

Exclusive drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows a devastated Ukrainian town nearly encircled by Russian forces near the city that Moscow this week claimed to now control.

Oil prices moved slightly higher on Thursday after Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure signalled potential supply constraints, and stalled peace talks tempered expectations of a deal restoring Russian oil flows to global markets,

Russian attacks kill three in Kyiv as Ukrainian delegation races to U.S. for urgent peace negotiations. Ukrainian delegation is headed by national security chief Rustem Umerov. Russia reports a major oil terminal halted operations after a Ukrainian strike.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman has condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea

Nevertheless, Ukrainian forces are managing to hold their ground in places like Pokrovsk, as well as in Kupiansk and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region — two sites on the front that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year, said Yurii Fedorenko commander of the Achilles UAV Brigade that is fighting in the area.

"None of us really know what Zelenskyy is like operating solo, because he never has," one expert told NBC News.

Russia launched its largest barrage of drones and missiles in a month across Ukraine, killing at least three people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday, as a Kyiv delegation heads to the United States for fresh peace talks.