Construction work for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games is not harming the environment, state building corporation Olympstroy said on Tuesday

The corporation, which manages most of the construction of Sochi Olympic facilities, was responding to Monday's claim by World Wildlife Fund Russia that "massive damage had already been caused and more is expected."

A survey "for the combined railway and highway, by far the largest project related to the Olympics [estimated cost of $8 billion], is based on a couple of weeks of zoological and botanical research done by fewer than 10 people," the organization said.

"These Olympic Games have no chance of being 'green' anymore, as serious irreversible damage to unique ecosystems has already been caused," the statement went on, adding that further damage could still be minimized.

Olympstroy said that its work was being carried out in line with international "green construction" standards and that all necessary measures had been taken to avoid damaging the region's ecosystem.

MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti)