Bank Rossiya Affiliates File to Buy Tele2 Russia -Report

   By Lukas I. Alpert 
 

MOSCOW--Two companies affiliated with private lender Bank Rossiya have filed an application with Russia's anti-monopoly regulator to buy Tele2 Russia, the country's fourth- largest mobile operator, Interfax reported Friday.

The filings were made by offshore companies Invinte BV and ABR Investments BV, as representatives of the St. Petersburg-based Bank Rossiya, said the report, citing the regulator.

Bank Rossiya didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Russia's second-largest lender VTB Bank (VTBR.RS) purchased the mobile operator in April from its Swedish parent, Tele2 AB (TELE2-B.SK) for $3.55 billion.

VTB has long signaled that it intended to sell the asset quickly, and many analysts had suspected it might be merged with one of Russia's other three large operators. But the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service had said it was unlikely to approve such a deal.

The sale has also been linked to Russia' state-run telecoms operator, Rostelecom (RTKM.RS), but VTB said in June that was unlikely.

Earlier this week, VTB's President Andrei Kostin said the company was likely to be sold to three or four investors in the next few weeks.

Write to Lukas I. Alpert ay [e-mail]

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