“COMSTAR – United TeleSystems” JSC (“Comstar” or “the Company”) (LSE: CMST) today announced appointment of Mikhail Monastyrsky as Chief Executive Officer of LLC Digital Telephone Networks South (DTN).

In the beginning of December, 2007 COMSTAR-UTS formed the new membership of the Board of Directors of DTN and at its first meeting BoD took a decision on conducting a one year contract with Mikhail Monastyrsky, who previously headed the company.

Viktor Koresh, Vice President for the Development of the Group’s Operations, Chairmen of DTN BoD, commented: «Mikhail Monastyrsky is a very efficient manager and under his leadership the company shows excellent operating results. The company is the leader in the alternative segment of the market in Rostov region. M. Monastyrsky will be responsible not only for provision of further successful development of the operator but also for optimization of all the company’s business processes and integration into the single structure of COMSTAR-UTS group ».

Mikhail Iosifovich Monastyrsky was born in 1964 in Shakhty city, Rostov region. Graduated from Rostov State University. PhD (technical). He has served as CEO of LLC DTN since 1998. Prior he was CEO of JSC Intersvyaz.

DTN is the largest alternative operator in the South of Russia, holds license for provision of zonal communication services and has Company’s own network of modern digital telephone stations in the city of Rostov and Rostov region. The company is also presented in Krasnodar region on base of acquired in July, 2007 telecommunication operator Comtel. DTN provides the full scope of modern telecommunication services for residential and corporate clients: digital telephony, leased channels, Internet access services. DTN market share in the telecommunication market of Rostov region is 30%.