Russia and Ukraine: Fears that dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the attack on Mykolaiv

Rescuers pulled the man down on a stretcher from a mountain of rubble, and transported him by ambulance to the city center.

But with temperatures in Mykolaiv last night dropping below six degrees Celsius, there may be no more survivors.

Vitaly Kim, head of the regional administration in the region, accused Russian forces of hitting “sleeping soldiers with a missile in a cowardly way”.

“At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many other bodies are under the rubble,” a soldier named Maxim was quoted by the French news agency AFP as saying.

Rescue work is underway at the site amid fears of new Russian attacks.

While lifting the rubble and concrete blocks, suddenly the soldiers guarding the base shouted and asked the journalists to look for a shelter, after a strong sound in the sky, perhaps a plane or a missile.

Seconds later, a small explosion was heard somewhere in the north-east of the city.

There was heavy bombardment overnight in southern Mykolaiv, a city that for weeks has stood in the way of Russian forces advancing westward along the Black Sea coast.

It was also reported that Russian reconnaissance teams were detected, which were working to locate military targets for the attack in the city.

Despite the frequent sirens in Mykolaiv, the city remains relatively quiet, with many people and vehicles appearing on the streets.