Documents obtained by a consortium of journalists have revealed the existence of a secret faculty at Bauman Moscow State Technical University that trains operatives for Russia’s military intelligence directorate, the GRU. The faculty, known as Department 4 or “Special Training”, prepares students for careers in hacking, disinformation, and covert operations, according to internal files covering several years up to 2025.
The documents, shared by the Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, the Insider, Delfi, and VSquare, include course syllabuses, exam records, and career assignments. They show that students are taught skills such as password attacks, software vulnerabilities, and trojan malware, with some later posted to notorious GRU cyber-units. The department is led by Lieutenant Colonel Kirill Stupakov, a signals intelligence officer, and includes instructors like Viktor Netyksho, a sanctioned major general who commanded the hacking group Fancy Bear.
Bauman University, founded in 1830, has long-standing ties to the Russian military, with over 40% of its research conducted for the defence ministry. The GRU exerts direct control over recruitment and grading, sending officers to conduct exams and oversee placements. The programme blurs the line between teaching and intelligence recruitment, with students scouted from school and funnelled into the GRU pipeline.
The existence of this secret faculty highlights the role of Russian state institutions in preparing operatives for activities such as election interference and cyberattacks, which have targeted Western parliaments and governments. The documents provide rare insight into the training of GRU personnel, whose actions have led to international sanctions and indictments.
