6 November 2024

East Star Resources Plc

("East Star" or the "Company")

Drilling Commences at Verkhuba Copper Deposit

East Star Resources Plc (LSE:EST), which is exploring for copper in Kazakhstan, is pleased to announce the commencement of the next phase of drilling at the Verkhuba copper deposit in the East Region of Kazakhstan.

The programme is expected to comprise at least 4,000 metres of diamond core drilling with the aim of increasing the Company's confidence in the resource model and providing further material for metallurgical test work. The Company expects the programme to assist in the completion of a scoping study, to determine the economics of a mining operation, in 2025.

It is expected at least 1,000 metres will be drilled this year, with the remainder of the programme to be completed as early as possible in 2025, subject to weather.

Alex Walker, CEO of East Star, commented:

"We're very happy to be drilling again at the Verkhuba copper deposit. Preparations for drilling began several months ago, including building heated sea containers to allow logging, cutting and sample preparation by the East Star geological team during winter.

After a detailed review of the ore bodies, extensive modelling and early-stage mine planning, the Company has a greater understanding of the deposit and the requirements to upgrade the quality and potentially the tonnage of the resource. The drill programme has been designed to increase certainty of the ore lenses within existing modelled open pits, and target gaps between lenses where the potential to increase tonnage exists. We very much look forward to updating the market on the results."

East Star Resources Plc

Alex Walker, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +44 (0)20 7390 0234 (via Vigo Consulting)

SI Capital (Corporate Broker)

Nick Emerson

Tel: +44 (0)1483 413 500

Peterhouse Capital Limited (Corporate Broker)

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 0930

Vigo Consulting (Investor Relations)

Ben Simons / Peter Jacob

Tel: +44 (0)20 7390 0234

About East Star Resources Plc

East Star Resources is focused on the discovery and development of copper and other strategic minerals required for the energy revolution. With eight licences covering >1,000 km² in three mineral rich districts of Kazakhstan, East Star is undertaking an intensive exploration programme, applying modern geophysics to discover minerals in levels that were not previously explored. East Star's most advanced project is a copper deposit on the world-class Rudny Altai VMS Belt where the Company delivered a JORC compliant inferred resource of 20.3Mt @ 1.16% copper, 1.54% zinc and 0.27% lead close to infrastructure, within trucking distance of third-party mills with excess capacity. East Star's management are based permanently on the ground, supported by local expertise, and a joint venture with the state mining company on certain projects. In 2024, East Star was selected to receive grant funding through the BHP Xplor programme for copper porphyry exploration.

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The person who arranged for the release of this announcement was Alex Walker, CEO of the Company.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 2014/596/EU which is part of domestic UK law pursuant to the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations (SI 2019/310) ("UK MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information (as defined in UK MAR) is now considered to be in the public domain.