HIGHLAND GOLD MINING LIMITED

Appointment of New Chief Executive Officer

15 January 2016

Highland Gold Mining Limited ('Highland Gold' or the 'Company', AIM: HGM) today announces the appointment of Mr Denis Alexandrov as Chief Executive Officer of its Moscow-based management company, Russdragmet LLC, effective January 18. Mr Alexandrov will be responsible for overseeing the Company's operations in the Russian Federation and Kyrgyzstan. Outgoing CEO Valery Oyf will remain with the Company as Non-Executive Director.

Denis Alexandrov is a graduate of the University of Maryland (USA) and Far-Eastern State University (Russia), holds an eMBA from the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, and is a chartered accountant (UK). He most recently served as CEO and Director of Auriant Mining AB (Nasdaq OMX First North: AUR SS), a Swedish company focused on gold production in Russia. Prior to that, he worked as Managing Director at A1 Investment Company and Chief Financial Officer at Arlan Investment Company, both of which had substantial holdings in the mining industry. From 2003 to 2006, Mr Alexandrov served as Finance Director and board member at Highland Gold.

Eugene Shvidler, Executive Chairman, commented: 'On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome Denis Alexandrov back to the Company. His strong natural resources industry management experience and financial background will be instrumental in helping to navigate the challenging period ahead for Highland Gold.'

The Board would like to put on record its thanks to Valery Oyf for his stewardship over the past eight years, during which the Company witnessed substantial growth, brought the Novoshirokinskoye and Belaya Gora mines online, reduced costs, and improved efficiency. The Board is pleased that Mr Oyf remains with the group as a director, ensuring continuity and his continued valuable input and insight. Mr Oyf also remains a key shareholder in Highland Gold.