A GRU officer’s intrusion into a diplomats’ residence exposed the scale of Russia’s operations in Ethiopia

Using facial recognition software and video analysis, The Insider identified a Russian military intelligence officer who infiltrated the African Union leadership’s residence in Addis Ababa. He was GRU officer Alexander Dubikov, officially serving as aide to Russian military attaché Nikita Zayats, who had himself previously been expelled from Portugal for espionage. Source: The Insider

The incident took place at the so-called Africa House, the official residence of African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Haddadi, where newly appointed Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was temporarily staying with his family at the time.

As captured by surveillance cameras, a car with Russian diplomatic plates drove into the residence’s parking lot behind Youssouf’s daughter’s car. Dubikov entered the building and walked straight to the chairperson’s bedroom without any hindrance, remaining there for 4 minutes and 24 seconds. As he was leaving, he encountered a female student—the politician’s daughter—who called security. However, amid the confusion and because of the intelligence officer’s stern manner, security staff mistook him for a high-ranking guest who had lost his way and let him leave the premises. According to leaked data, Dubikov graduated from the Military Academy of the Strategic Rocket Forces and the GRU Academy, was assigned to military unit 45807, and remains in regular contact with hacker Vladislav Popov of military unit 74455 (the Sandworm cyber group), who is responsible for some of the largest international cyberattacks.

Security experts believe the main goal of Dubikov’s four-minute operation was to steal Youssouf’s personal digital devices, copy confidential files, or install equipment to secretly monitor the union’s leadership. Although security was tightened after the visit, Dubikov is still moving freely in Addis Ababa. Analysts note that the operation’s brazen nature has laid bare Ethiopia’s transformation into one of the GRU’s key hubs on the continent, while the resulting scandal threatens to derail the Kremlin’s diplomatic efforts ahead of the third Russia–Africa summit in Moscow.

Recall that Russia Uses Africa to Finance Its War Against Ukraine.