According to Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, the Russian ship had the capacity to transport 20 tanks, 45 armored vehicles and 400 soldiers, writes the BBC.

In Ukraine, the attack is seen as a great and symbolic success, as the fort was reportedly used already during the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.   

The explosion and fire were caused by Ukrainian missiles, writes The Guardian.

The fire is said to have spread to two other ships as well as an ammunition depot and a fuel terminal in the port.  

Berdyansk is located between the Crimean peninsula and the besieged city of Mariupol, which makes the city strategically important to the Russians. 

The details of the ship attack have not been commented on by Russia, according to CNN.

Earlier this week, Russian-backed media reported that Ukrainian missiles were repeatedly aimed at Berdyansk, but that all missiles were captured by Russian air defense, writes the BBC.

See the burning ship in the video above.