Ufimtsev was speaking at the VII International Forum on Construction and Design and the 100+ TechnoBuild exhibition, a three-day event in Yekaterinburg, where models of village facilities for the 2023 Summer World University Games, due to be held in the Russian city, were presented, as reported by TASS, Russia's official state news agency.

"The effectiveness of conducting operational intelligence at a remote location and in the field at the facility is different," said Ufimtsev.

"Today, all that nervous situation, a very original way of document flow and negotiation, is, of course, not very effective, but the pandemic did not have a critical impact," he added.

The Yekaterinburg 2023 Athletes Village is due to be constructed on an area of more than 230 thousand square metres, and is set to consist of five building complexes - the main Village, the Water Sports Palace, a medical centre, a community centre with a security perimeter and a rugby training field with track and field tracks.

Two hostels with an area of 80 thousand square metres are set to be the first facilities in the event's village to be commissioned.

Five complexes for guests are set to be located in the centre of the village, and these are due to have the ability to house in excess of 11,000 athletes.

Models of some of these facilities were presented during the VII International Forum on Construction and the Design and the 100+ TechnoBuild exhibition, with the theme of this year's exhibition being "Building Consciously." 

This included a model of the Water Sports Palace, an area intended for training and competition for Russians and international athletes in swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming.

The Palace is due to feature four storeys and cover an area of 60 thousand square metres.

It includes three professional and one children's pool and stands that can accommodate more than 5,000 spectators.

Another object of the village was a training field with several running tracks, a football field and an area for high and long jump. 

Dismountable stands with 500 seats are overlooking the field and these can be quickly installed or dismantled.

The forum presented a layout of the hostels, which feature five complexes for guests located in the central part of the village.

During the forum, it was also announced that The Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) will receive a new building in the Universiade village.

The Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Sverdlovsk Region Leonid Rapoport gave details of the new building.

"The community centre that is being built for the Universiade will be a legacy associated with the arrival of the UrFU.

"There will be a power supply unit, a sports block and an arena," Rapoport said.

Earlier this month, UrFU signed a cooperation agreement with Games organisers in a bid to promote Yekaterinburg 2023 within the area. 

The 2023 Summer World University Games are scheduled to take place in Yekaterinburg from August 8 to 19, with competition set to take place across 18 sports.