OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2010. Southern Telecommunications Company (UTK) [(RTS: KUBN, KUBNP; МICEX: UTEL, UTELP; ADR OTC: STJSY, KUE FRA)], the largest fixed-line telecommunications operator in the Southern Federal District of Russia, announces that the company managed to reduce its debt burden by 19.5%, or down RUR 4,575 mln in 2009.  As of January 1, 2009, the amount of this debt stood at RUR 23,407, while this metric had decreased to RUR 18,832 as of December 31, 2009. 

According to the general director of the company, Alexander Shipulin, the decrease in debt burden amid the global economic downturn on financial markets is one of the company’s major achievements in 2009.  This is the result of an anti-crisis program implemented by the new management team and efficient work on the part of all UTK experts.  Furthermore, this is only a part of the huge amount of work which needs to be done by the team in 2010 and in subsequent years.