At least 11 people, including two children aged 9 and 14, were killed in a Russian missile attack on Sumy, just hours after Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to strike Russia with long-range American weapons, potentially escalating the conflict. The missile hit a nine-story residential building in the center of Sumy, injuring 68 others, according to local authorities.

Power outages were reported in parts of the city after critical infrastructure was damaged. The Ukrainian energy grid was heavily targeted in a major Russian assault yesterday, with 120 drones and 90 missiles launched.

While the Kremlin has not yet responded to Biden’s decision, Russian lawmaker Maria Butina warned that the move could lead to World War III.

“They are trying to escalate the situation as much as they can while they are still in power. I truly hope that Donald Trump will reverse this decision, because no one wants a Third World War,” Butina stated.

For months, Ukraine has been asking its Western allies for permission to use long-range missiles to strike deep within Russia. In response, Vladimir Putin warned on September 12 that such an action would be seen as direct NATO involvement in the war. In late October, Putin said that Russia’s defense ministry was working on different responses if the U.S. and NATO allies provided Ukraine with the means to strike deep into Russia.

In these attacks, Ukraine could use American-made ATACMS missiles and British-made Storm Shadow missiles, both of which have a range of about 300 kilometers.