March 20, 2008, Moscow. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (JSC COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading operator of integrated telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS, announces that it has appointed Vladimir Alaev General Manager of OJSC Tumenneftegazsvyaz (TNGS), COMSTAR-UTS Group.

The Board of Directors with OJSC Tumenneftegazsvyaz approved the appointment at its meeting March 18, 2008.

Mr. Alaev had been General Manager of OJSC Regional Technical Center (RTC), a member of COMSTAR-UTS Group. Appointed TNGS General Manager, he will also continue to be RTC General Manager.

Before that Vadim Travin had been General Manager of OJSC Tumenneftegazsvyaz.

RTC and TNGS are planned to be merged with OJSC COMSTAR-UTS making a basis for Tumen branch. The integration is not expected to be completed until late 2008 – early 2009.

“Vladimir Alaev has established a reputation of highly knowledgeable expert with a profound knowledge of telecommunications market peculiarities in Uralsky region. I am sure his high professionalism, wealth of practical experience and talent of an organizer will help develop efficient solutions to consolidate resources and integrate the business of TNGS and RTC into a uniform operational unit of the Group”, said Viktor Koresh, Regional Development Vice President, COMSTAR-United TeleSystems. "The tasks he will take on will involve a range of complex issues such as the need to be an active business player in the region, expand the presence on the telecommunications market and proceed with the daunting process of integrating two companies." No doubt, the merger in the Ural Federal Area will establish a powerful alternative universal telecommunication operator".

Vladimir Alaev was born in 1963 in Sakmara, Zianchurin District of Bashkortostan Republic. He graduated from Kuibyshev Electric Engineering Institute of Communications majoring in “Radio Communications and Radio Broadcasting” in 1986, and then from Orenburg State Agrarian University majoring in “Economics and Enterprise Management”.

Mr. Alaev started work in the telecommunications industry in 1980. He worked as an engineer at the Production and Technical Communications Office, Glavtumenneftegaz. In 1989 he went on to work at the Communications and Informatics Office, OJSC Orenburgneft, where he became Head of the Office in June 2000. In 2004 he became Director of RTC-Orenburg branch, Regional Technical Center (RTC), and since 2007 he has been General Manager of OJSC RTC.