Russia’s Secret GRU Training Programme at Bauman University Exposed

Internal documents obtained by a six-outlet consortium reveal a “Department 4” within Bauman Moscow State Technical University that trains students for the GRU. The files, covering activity through 2025, include syllabi, exam records, staff contracts and graduate placements, mapping a pipeline from classroom hacking and disinformation to postings in GRU cyber-units.

The Guardian

Founded in 1830, Bauman has long supplied engineers for Soviet and Russian defence projects. A 2013 internal letter to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that over 40 % of its research serves the Ministry of Defence.

The Guardian

The programme is overseen by Lieutenant Colonel Kirill Stupakov, who signed a three-year contract with GRU Unit 45807 in 2022. Instructors include Major General Viktor Netyksho, former commander of Unit 26165 (“Fancy Bear”). Graduates such as Daniil Porshin joined Fancy Bear; another cohort member entered Unit 74455 in Anapa, known as “Sandworm”.

The Guardian

Department 4 offers three streams. Core courses total 144 hours, covering password attacks, software vulnerabilities, trojan creation and virus development; students must produce a virus. A “Defence against technical reconnaissance” module teaches electronic eavesdropping and disguised hardware. An advanced seminar requires a disinformation video using “manipulation, pressure and hidden propaganda.” Of the 69 spring 2024 graduates, 15 entered GRU units; dozens were dismissed for insufficient skill.

The Guardian

Western intelligence links Russian hybrid activity to cyber-attacks, sabotage and influence operations across Europe. The programme’s continuation suggests a systematic effort to replenish the GRU’s cyber-force, potentially intensifying future interference in Western elections and critical-infrastructure attacks.

The Guardian

Dutch intelligence warned in February of an up-surge in Russian hybrid operations targeting European infrastructure. Sweden’s minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin accused Russia of destructive cyber-attacks against EU institutions on 15 April. Bauman University, Stupakov, Netyksho and graduate Porshin have not responded.

The Guardian

Analysts view the documents as proof of state-sanctioned cyber aggression, arguing that the training blurs academic instruction with intelligence recruitment and undermines norms on non-militarised education.

The Guardian

The status of Stupakov’s active service is unclear. Bauman declined comment, and no independent verification of the programme’s scale exists. A former defence official said other universities, notably MIREA, also train hackers, but details remain scarce.

The Guardian

• “You have everything it takes to be competitive,” — Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

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• “Sometimes you are first scouted from school, then go to Bauman and join the services … it is part of a pipeline,” — Former senior Russian defence official

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• “Insufficient understanding of how to carry out a remote network attack,” — GRU officer evaluation of a student

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• “Bauman is one of a handful of elite universities used to identify gifted students for recruitment into military and intelligence structures,” — Former defence official (source)

The Guardian

The next cohort will graduate at the end of the 2027 academic year. Insiders say similar programmes at MIREA will continue feeding the GRU’s cyber-units, potentially expanding Russia’s hybrid-warfare capacity.

The Guardian