Moscow, Russia - December 27, 2013 - Sistema JSFC ("Sistema") (LSE: SSA), the largest publicly-traded diversified holding company in Russia and the CIS, today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Sistema Finance SA has acquired 6,730,360 of MTS ordinary shares, representing 0.3% of charter capital, on the open market between the period of   December 3 and December 18, 2013 for a total consideration of approximately US$ 64 million. As a result, Sistema's effective shareholding in MTS has increased to 53.47%[1]. MTS shares were purchased for general corporate purposes. 

[1] Voting stake is 55.2%  

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