The 21 year old son of a top Central Intelligence Agency official has been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine. Michael Gloss, son of Juliane Gallina Gloss, the CIA’s Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, and Iraq war veteran Larry Gloss, had signed a contract with the Russian military before his death.
The information was revealed in an investigation by the independent outlet IStories. Michael Gloss, who had previously studied at a university in the United States, was known for taking part in peaceful protests against abortion bans and for climate action. Friends described him as a pacifist. In 2023, he left college and embarked on a global journey, including time spent helping earthquake victims in Turkey.
In August 2023, Gloss obtained a Russian visa and travelled to Vladikavkaz, before moving between several Russian cities and settling in Moscow. He became active on Russian social networks, subscribing to groups dedicated to Lenin and Stalin, posting videos of Vladimir Putin, and even purchasing a Soviet flag.
By 1 September 2023, with only one week left on his visa, Gloss abandoned plans to travel to Europe. Instead, by 5 September, he had enlisted in the Russian military at a recruitment centre in Moscow. According to IStories, he joined the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces. At the same time, he told his family he was working in Russia and saving money for future travel across Africa.
Gloss later set up a profile on the Odnoklassniki social network where he shared footage from his military unit. In December 2023, he was deployed to the Donetsk region, taking part in Russia’s invasion forces against Ukraine.
On 4 April 2024, Gloss was reportedly killed, most likely during Russia’s offensives around Bakhmut. However, his burial did not take place until December 2024. His parents, in an obituary notice, described his death simply as a tragedy, without mentioning the real circumstances.
The case has revealed the dangers of foreign nationals joining Russia’s military campaigns, especially as the Kremlin continues to seek new manpower for its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. The financial cost for Russia’s global recruitment operations, according to independent reports, amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
