That activity look 100% to be from a paid employee to me. He works in the morning and does git maintenance in the afternoon like clockwork... Between 12 and 18... It might also have been multiple employee.

He didn't work on Christmas or new year eve which is extremely telling...

But note that he comes back next year on the 5th, then disappears for 6th and 7th, and comes back at 8th. 7th is the old-style Eastern Orthodox Christmas, as celebrated in e.g. Russia, Serbia, and Georgia, and 6th is therefore the Christmas Eve. Although in Russia official holidays are the entire week from January, 1 to January, 8 inclusive... still, for this kind of work I wouldn't expect them to stick to the letter of the law there.