Press release

MTS Group Acquires Alternative Operator in Saint Petersburg

December 24, 2010

Moscow, Russian Federation — Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS” — NYSE: MBT), the leading telecommunications provider in Russia and the CIS, announces that the MTS Group through Comstar-Regions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Comstar-UTS, has acquired 100% in Lanck Telecom LLC (“Lanck Telecom”), an alternative operator in Saint Petersburg, from a group of private investors. The acquisition allows MTS Group to strengthen its position in the Saint Petersburg corporate market.

The purchase price was RUB 547.4 million ($17.9 million(1)). In addition, Lanck Telecom has net debt of RUB 227.6 million ($7.4 million).

Lanck Telecom provides broadband Internet and fixed-line services with a focus on the corporate segment. The company has more than 900 kilometers of fiber optic cable and services more than 1 million square meters of commercial real estate. The company currently has approximately 8,000 broadband Internet and 5,000 fixed-line subscribers.

Lanck Telecom’s financial results will be consolidated in MTS’ financial statements beginning from December 23, 2010.

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For further information, please contact in Moscow:

Joshua B. Tulgan

Director, Investor Relations

Acting Director, Corporate Finance

Department of Investor Relations

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC

Tel: +7 495 223 2025

E-mail: ir@mts.ru

Learn more about MTS. Visit the official blog of the Investor Relations Department at www.mtsgsm.com/blog/

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Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS”) is the leading telecommunications group in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, offering mobile and fixed voice, broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 105.0 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus, a region that boasts a total population of more than 230 million. Since June 2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about the MTS Group can be found at www.mtsgsm.com.

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Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “may” or “might,” and the negative of such terms or other similar expressions.  We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not undertake or intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including volatility in interest and exchange rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses, including Comstar-UTS, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with telecommunications infrastructure, governmental regulation of the telecommunications industries and other risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.

(1) Using the Russian Central Bank exchange rate of 30.5922 RUB/USD as of December 24, 2010. The U.S. dollar amounts in the press release provided for reference.

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MOBILE TELESYSTEMS OJSC

By:

/s/ Mikhail Shamolin

Name:

Mikhail Shamolin

Title:

CEO

Date:   December 27, 2010