VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 11, 2010) - Fortress Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FST) ("Fortress") is pleased to announce that it has received the Exploration and Mining License for the Svetloye Gold Deposit valid until December 31, 2030. This license will allow Fortress to begin production at Svetloye following completion of pre-production exploration works and a Russian technical feasibility study (TKO).

In April 2009 (see Press Release dated April 23, 2009), Fortress reported a 43-101 compliant inferred resource for the Elena, Amy, and Tamara zones of 20.103 million tonnes of ore grading 2.21 grams/tonne (g/t) gold containing 1.428 million ounces of gold. Since that time Fortress has completed 9,577 metres of drilling in 56 diamond drill holes focused primarily on infill drilling at the Amy, Tamara, and Elena targets in preparation for completion of the Russian technical feasibility study. Significant results from this 2009 drilling program are in the attached table.

The Svetloye Project consists of nine zones of mineralization that occur over a linear distance of 8 kilometres. Gold is associated with extensive zones of vuggy silica, quartz-alunite and quartz-dickite-kaolinite alteration. This style of mineralization is common to Pierina, Veladero and other high sulphidation epithermal deposits.

Lukas Lundin, President of Fortress, commented, "The receipt of this Exploration and Mining license is a key achievement for the Company and will enable the Company to advance the Svetloye Deposit to the production stage. The Company continues to expand aggressively into the Russian Far East, which we believe to be one of the most prospective regions in the world for precious and base metal deposits."

Fortress now controls a 100% interest in the Svetloye Deposit where winter road mobilization to support the 2010 program is currently underway. In addition, through a Joint Venture acquisition with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation ("FMEC"), the Company is currently completing a 6,000-metre drill program as part of earn-in requirements to obtain a 51% interest in three copper and copper-gold projects in the Russian Far East (see Press Release dated September 29th, 2009).

The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed by James C. Ashleman, Chief Geologist, P.Geo., and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. A rigorous quality control program has been instituted involving insertion of certified standards and duplicate sampling. Samples are crushed and split on site with final sample preparation at the Irgiredmet Laboratory of Irkutsk, Russia (accredited by the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Standardization and Metrology "Gosstandart" of Russia). Assaying by fire assay is performed by the Irgiredmet Laboratory.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Lukas H. Lundin, President and CEO

This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Company's plans for its properties. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to political risks involving the Company's exploration and development of its properties, the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's periodic filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. The Company does not intend to update this information and disclaims any legal liability to the contrary.

						Gold	Silver
Hole	Area	TD	From	To	Width	Grade	Grade
		(m)	(m)	(m)	(m)	(g/t)	(g/t)
PDSC-243	Amy	219.4	20.4	60.4	40	3.68	8.0
		Including	20.4	38.6	18.2	3.70	5.5
		And including	48.4	56.3	7.9	9.57	25.8
PDSC-244	Amy	220.5	6.2	36.2	30	1.54	3.5
		Including	23.2	34.2	11	3.02	8.1
		And	42.8	142.2	99.4	1.03	<1.0
		Including	82.3	104.1	21.8	1.53	2.0
		And including	116	120.8	4.8	4.81	1.7
		And	205	220.5	15.5	1.45	<1.0
PDSC-247	Amy	220	18	91	73	1.51	1.5
		Including	18	27.2	9.2	5.00	6.3
		And including	81.4	88.6	7.2	3.55	1.8
PDSC-249	Amy	224	16.6	168.7	152.1	0.52	<1.0
		Including	97.1	110.6	13.5	1.40	1.1
		And including	117.4	122	4.6	4.10	1.7
PDSC-250	Amy	233	108.4	185.8	77.4	1.33	3.3
		Including	79.7	84.2	4.5	1.35	1.4
		And including	112.4	128.8	16.4	1.06	1.4
		And including	151.6	154	2.4	29.60	80.4
		And	202.5	206.9	4.4	0.90	<1.0
PDSC-252	Amy	224	14.4	75.2	60.8	2.62	~1.0
		Including	36.2	45.8	9.6	8.56	1.7
		And including	50	68.5	18.5	3.37	1.6
		And	91.7	177	85.3	0.37	<1.0
		And	211.6	224	12.4	4.77*	82.1
		Including	211.6	216.9	5.3	10.36*	191.4
PDSC-262	Amy	161	0	75.5	75.5	1.31	2.6
		Including	10.8	50.4	39.6	1.71	3.9
		And including	62	75.5	13.5	1.65	<1.0
		And	83.9	92.8	8.9	0.53	<1.0
PDSC-264	Amy	149	8	137.4	129.4	1.04	<1.0
		Including	28.7	58.6	29.9	1.42	<1.0
		And including	69.8	131	61.2	1.18	<1.0
PDSC-281	Amy	221	0	62.1	62.1	2.13	2.7
		Including	25.1	51	25.9	3.33	3.3
PDSC-269	Elena	50	0	38.9	38.9	3.41	10.5
PDSC-271	Elena	123.6	0	27.3	27.3	3.61	2.0
		Including	0	23.2	23.2	4.19	2.2
PDSC-273	Elena	150.1	11.6	62.1	50.5	4.50*	4.0
		Including	32.9	59.4	26.5	7.59*	6.5
PDSC-276	Elena	70.5	7.5	61.5	54	1.61	2.4
		Including	21.3	51.5	30.2	2.42	3.9
PDSC-278	Elena	218	0	87.4	87.4	2.55	4.8
		Including	0	37.6	37.6	4.67	4.0
PDSC-284	Elena	161	0	122.5	122.5	1.76	<1.0
		Including	0	12.3	12.3	4.54	<1.0
		And including	61	108.7	47.7	2.68	10.9
PDSC-289	Elena	100.8	6	80.2	74.2	1.77	8.3
		Including	18.1	80.2	62.1	2.02	9.8
PDSC-293	Elena	102.6	0	71.8	71.8	1.88	15.0
		Including	0	50.6	50.6	2.44	17.4
PDSC-294	Elena	102.6	0	81.8	81.8	2.66	4.4
		Including	0	20.3	20.3	6.48	8.8
		And including	50.6	56.8	6.2	7.31	19.3
* values >30 g/t have been cut to 30 g/t

Note: All intercepts are core length and do not necessarily represent true widths of mineralization. Cut-off grade for the intercepts vary to illustrate general zones of mineralization within holes. A 30 g/t cap grade is used.