Russian GRU trains hackers and propaganda specialists in a secret department at one of the most prestigious technical universities in Moscow

Bauman Moscow State Technical University — one of the most prestigious universities in Russia — trains future hackers and information operations specialists for the Russian GRU.

This is stated in a joint investigation by The Insider, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The Guardian, Delfi, and VSquare.

Journalists gained access to internal documents of the 4th Department of the Bauman University Military Training Center, entitled "Special Training". Among them are curricula, presentations, and lists of students and teachers for 2022-2024.

This department is secret, not even advertised on the university’s website. The Insider called it the “war crimes department”, and The Guardian writes that carefully selected students here are quietly being prepared for careers in GRU, whose agents have hacked Western parliaments, poisoned dissidents abroad, and interfered in elections across Europe and the United States.

Thus, journalists found out that on the basis of this department, students are taught hacker attacks, the creation of computer viruses, phishing and server hacking, information operations and propaganda methods. One of the practical classes involves "virus penetration testing", and the coursework is the development of your own malicious software.

Separate lectures are devoted to spy technologies: wiretapping and covert video surveillance. According to the investigation, the course is taught by Lieutenant Colonel Kirill Stupakov, who is alleged to have ties to the GRU units.

The documents also mention GRU officers associated with the Fancy Bear and Sandworm hacking groups, including General Viktor Netiksho, who the US previously accused of interfering in the 2016 US election.

According to journalists, some of the departmentʼs graduates end up in the GRU military unit 74455, which is affiliated with the “Sandworm” group. This group is linked to cyberattacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Georgia, as well as the “NotPetya” virus, which affected systems around the world.

In addition, the university teaches students how to create manipulative videos and conduct covert propaganda campaigns. For example, in one assignment, students were asked to create a social media video using “manipulation, pressure, and covert propaganda”.

The departmentʼs materials also use the experience of the Russian army gained during the full-scale war against Ukraine. In particular, students are shown manuals on the combat experience of Russian special operations forces and analyze Western drones used by the Ukrainian military.

The departmentʼs students are told about the armament of the Bundeswehr combat units, and one of the seminars is dedicated to the study of the information security system in Germany.

According to the investigation, in 2024 alone, the department trained 1 563 reservists and 429 potential contract officers. The documents show that the GRU exercises direct control over the process of recruiting and evaluating students, sends its own officers to conduct exams, and approves candidates and monitors their subsequent employment in the special services.

Students undergo internships at Russian defense sector enterprises, some of which are under EU and US sanctions.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.