Michael Alexander Gloss, the 21-year-old son of a deputy director at the CIA, was killed in eastern Ukraine in April 2024 while reportedly fighting for Russian forces, according to reports on independent Russian media and NBC News.
Gloss, the son of Juliane Gallina, CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, died on April 4, 2024. His family’s obituary stated he died while “traveling in Eastern Europe,” omitting any mention of the war or his ties to Russia.
An investigation by Russian outlet Important Stories revealed Gloss had signed a contract with the Russian military in September 2023.
Deployed to Ukraine in December, he served in an assault unit near Soledar, a hotspot of intense fighting.
Raised in Virginia, Gloss had been active in environmental and gender equality movements during university.
His acquaintances described a growing disenchantment with US policies, fueled by anger over America's support for Israel and radical content online.
After volunteering in Turkey following the 2023 earthquake, Gloss traveled to Russia, where he joined the military, reportedly hoping to secure citizenship.
The CIA confirmed his death in a statement on April 25, noting he had struggled with mental health issues. The agency emphasized that the matter was a private family tragedy, not a national security concern.
It remains unclear whether Russian authorities knew of Gloss’s family background.
Moscow has increasingly recruited foreign nationals to bolster its forces amid battlefield losses in Ukraine.
Gloss’s story highlights the rare and complex case of an American, particularly the child of a senior US intelligence official, joining the ranks of Russia’s military during its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The CIA and the Gloss family have requested privacy during this period of mournin
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