Press release

MTS Announces Subscriber Growth Numbers for July 2009

August 19, 2009

Moscow, Russian Federation – Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS” – NYSE: MBT), the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS, announces that its consolidated subscriber base reached 95.65 million users on July 31, 2009.

During July, MTS’ consolidated subscriber base increased by 0.62 million subscribers with over 510 thousand subscribers added in Russia.

Jul 31,

Jun 30,

Growth

Jul 31,

Growth

Subscribers (mln)

2009

2009

Subs

%

2008

Subs

%

Total consolidated subscribers, eop

95.65

95.03

0.62

0.7

%

87.26

8.39

9.6

%

Russia

67.93

67.42

0.51

0.8

%

61.86

6.07

9.8

%

Moscow and the Moscow region

14.85

15.36

(0.51

)

(3.3

)%

14.14

0.71

5.1

%

St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region

3.66

3.58

0.08

2.3

%

3.01

0.65

21.7

%

Rest of Russia

49.42

48.49

0.93

1.9

%

44.71

4.71

10.5

%

Ukraine

17.79

17.78

0.01

0.1

%

18.60

(0.81

)

(4.3

)%

Uzbekistan

6.55

6.53

0.02

0.4

%

4.61

1.94

42.2

%

Turkmenistan

1.33

1.25

0.08

5.9

%

0.64

0.69

105.9

%

Armenia

2.04

2.05

(0.01

)

(0.1

)%

1.56

0.48

31.2

%

MTS Belarus(1)

4.50

4.48

0.02

0.5

%

4.07

0.43

10.7

%

* * *

For further information, please contact:

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/

* * *

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS”) is the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company services over 95.65 million subscribers. The regions of Russia, as well as Armenia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in which MTS and its associates and subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM services, have 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 MTS can be found on MTS’ website at www.mtsgsm.com.

* * *

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 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

(1) MTS owns a 49% stake in Mobile TeleSystems LLC, a mobile operator in Belarus, which is not consolidated.

projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, 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, risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks..

* * *

MOBILE TELESYSTEMS OJSC

By:

/s/ Mikhail Shamolin

Name:

Mikhail Shamolin

Title:

CEO

Date:   August 19, 2009