Ankara: A fire broke out at an airfield in Russia's Saratov region as a result of an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, according to reports on Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its air defenses successfully intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones across various regions of the country during the overnight assault. Specifically, 54 drones were reportedly shot down over the Saratov region.

Saratov Governor Roman Busargin communicated via Telegram that the attack led to a fire at an airfield in the city of Engels, which is approximately 470 kilometers (292 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Engels is notable for housing a military airbase that is home to Moscow's Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers.

Busargin mentioned that residents in the vicinity of the airfield were evacuated for safety reasons. He described the incident as 'the most massive drone attack of all time,' and confirmed that all emergency services were present at the scene. The attack resulted in damage to about 30 houses, a clinical hospital, two kindergartens, and a school.

"There are victims. All those who sought medical assistance were provided with the necessary medical care," Busargin stated, though he did not elaborate on the number of casualties.

In a subsequent statement, Ukraine's General Staff acknowledged that Kyiv targeted the airfield in Engels, along with other components of Russia's military infrastructure.