ST. PETERSBURG, June 14. /TASS/. Up to 30,000 residents have been temporarily relocated from those populated localities in the Zaporozhye Region that are being heavily shelled, Acting Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Wednesday.

"We have relocated less than 30,000, [to be exact] more than 20,000. Up to 5,000 are permanently staying at temporary accommodation centers," he said.

On May 5, Balitsky said that residents of the region’s 18 populated localities will be temporarily moved further away from the contact line amid intensified Ukrainian shelling. Andrey Kozenko, the region’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, told TASS that about 70,000 people may be displaced.

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) — Russia’s showcase annual economic and business event — is being held on June 14-17. The theme of this year’s forum is: "Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations." TASS is the official information partner of the event.