OREANDA-NEWS. Sistema JSFC (“Sistema”) (LSE: SSA), the largest publicly-traded diversified holding company in Russia and the CIS today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Sistema Finance SA acquired 6,424,690 or 0.3% of MTS ordinary shares on the open market between the period of September 5 and October 15, 2013 for a total consideration of approximately USD 60 million. MTS shares were purchased for general investment purposes.

Sistema is the largest publicly-traded diversified holding company in Russia and the CIS, which invests in and is a major shareholder of companies serving over 100 million customers in the sectors of telecommunications, high technology, oil and energy, radars and aerospace, banking, retail, mass-media, tourism and healthcare services. Founded in 1993, the Company reported revenues of USD 8.5 billion for the second quarter of 2013, and total assets of USD 44.4 billion as at June 30, 2013. Sistema's global depository receipts are listed under the symbol “SSA” on the London Stock Exchange. Sistema's ordinary shares are listed under the symbol “AFKS” on the MICEX-RTS Stock Exchange. Sistema was ranked number 315 in the 2011 edition of the Fortune Global 500 list.