“COMSTAR - United TeleSystems” JSC (“Comstar”) (LSE: CMST), the leading combined telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS, today announced the appointment of Victor Koresh as Vice President with responsibility for the development of the Group’s operations. Mr. Koresh has to date held the position of General Director of CJSC PeterStar, which is a leading alternative fixed line telecommunications operator in St. Petersburg.

Eric Franke, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Victor Koresh to the senior management team. He brings a successful operational track record and broad experience of the telecommunications market in the Russian regions. Victor will focus on the further integration of our existing and newly acquired regional operations and driving improved profitability levels by enhancing the companies’ business processes, maximising potential synergies and leveraging the increased scale and range of product offerings”.

Victor Koresh was born in 1953 in Ilyintsy in the Vinnitsky region of Ukraine. Mr. Koresh has served as General Director of PeterStar since 2001, and was previously General Director of Sovintel’s branch in St Petersburg from 1997. He previously worked for the State Ministry of Communications. Mr. Koresh is a graduate of Bonch-Bruevich Leningrad Electro-Technical Institute, and is a qualified telecommunications engineer.