Ruukki Group Plc, Stock Exchange Release, 19 December 2008 at 9:05 a.m. RUUKKI GROUP PLC TO START A BUYBACK PROGRAM RELATED TO OWN SHARES The Board of Directors of Ruukki Group Plc has decided to acquire at the maximum 19,000,000 company's own shares based on the authorisation given by the Extraordinary General Meeting on 28 October 2008. The shares will be acquired in a public trade arranged by Nasdaq OMX Helsinki. The purchases of the shares will start on 29 December 2008 at the earliest. The shares shall be acquired according to the Rules of Nasdaq OMX Helsinki and otherwise according to the rules related to acquisition of company's own shares. RUUKKI GROUP PLC ALWYN SMIT CHAIRMAN AND CEO Ruukki Group specialises in industrial refining of certain natural resources. The Group has two focus areas: Wood Processing and Minerals. Ruukki Group Plc's shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Helsinki in which the shares of the Company are traded in the mid cap segment, in the industrials sector. For additional information, please contact: Alwyn Smit Chairman and CEO Ruukki Group Plc Telephone +358 50 442 1663 / +41 7960 19094 www.ruukkigroup.fi This stock exchange release is based on a translation into English of a document written in Finnish. In case of any discrepancies, inconsistencies or inaccuracies, the Finnish version of the release shall prevail.