Son of CIA deputy director was killed while fighting for Russia, report says
Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, died on 4 April 2024 in 'Eastern Europe', according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Juliane Gallina, who was appointed the deputy director for digital innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency in February 2024.
The story of how the son of a top-ranking US spy died fighting for Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is an unlikely tale of how homegrown anger at the United States and online radicalisation led from a middle-class Virginia childhood to the killing fields of eastern Ukraine.
On a VKontakte page attributed to Gloss, a high school football player born to parents who both served in the military, he described himself as 'a supporter of the multipolar world. I ran away from home. traveled the world. I hate fascism. I love my homeland.' He also posted the flags of Russia and Palestine.
According to the investigative website iStories, Gloss is one of more than 1,500 foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian military since February 2022. The database for the enrollment office was later leaked, exposing him as having signed the contract in September 2023. Sources told iStories that Gloss had been deployed with 'assault units', those engaged in harsh frontline fighting, in December 2023. An acquaintance said that he had been deployed to a Russian airborne regiment sent to storm Ukrainian positions near the city of Soledar.
'With his noble heart and warrior spirit Michael was forging his own hero's journey when he was tragically killed in Eastern Europe on April 4, 2024,' his family wrote in the obituary, which did not mention Russia and Ukraine or discuss the circumstances of his death.
In university, Gloss was active in gender equality and environmental protest circles. He joined Rainbow Family, a leftwing environmental protest group, and in 2023 traveled to Hatay, Turkey, to assist in the recovery following the earthquake that killed more than 56,000 people. He had also become increasingly angry at the US for its support of Israel and the war in Gaza.
While in Turkey, Gloss began expressing a desire to go on to Russia. 'He was usually watching videos about Palestine and was so angry at America,' one acquaintance told iStories. 'He started thinking about going to Russia. He wanted to war with the USA. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory videos.'
Related: The Determined Spy: Frank Wisner, the CIA and a covert career cut short
After receiving a visa to Russia, he traveled around the country before arriving in Moscow, where he joined the military shortly before his documents expired. Photographs and videos obtained by iStories showed he was sent to a Russian training camp, where he mostly trained alongside Nepali contract soldiers. Three months after enlisting, an acquaintance said, he was deployed to Ukraine as a member of an assault battalion.
A number of acquaintances told the outlet that he had not been interested in fighting, but hoped the army would allow him to receive a Russian passport and stay in the country.
The circumstance's of Gloss's death are not known. A friend said that his family had been informed by the Russian government of his death but were given little other information. 'It was announced that he died within the borders of Ukraine,' the friend wrote. 'We do not know whether he participated in the war. They did not provide any other detailed information.'
It was not clear whether the Russians performed a background check on Gloss or knew the identity of his mother. The Guardian has approached the CIA for comment on the reports.
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The Hill
8 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ukrainian defenses face a challenge as Russian troops make gains ahead of the Putin-Trump summit
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Moscow's forces have been exploiting the lack of Ukrainian infantry, a problem tied not only to the country's stalled mobilization but also to poor management, the pilot said. 'We pay with territory and lives to fix mistakes — and we can keep fixing mistakes only as long as we have even a scrap of land left,' the pilot said. Ukrainian forces have tried to plug the gaps by extensive use of first-person-view drones — remotely piloted devices loaded with explosives that allow operators to see targets before striking. These FPVs have turned areas up to 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) from the front into deadly zones on both sides of the line. But because the Russians attack with small groups, it's hard to counter with drones alone. 'We can't launch 100 FPVs at once,' the pilot said, noting the drone operators would interfere with each other. 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With few major roads, maintaining logistics for the large number of Ukrainian forces in the area would become 'extremely difficult,' Filimonov said. Turning to the summit, Filimonov decried what he described as ongoing Russian killings and atrocities. 'And then the civilized world comes to them and says, 'Fine, let's make a deal.' That's not how it should be done,' he said.
Boston Globe
8 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Ukrainian defenses face a challenge as Russian troops make gains ahead of the Putin-Trump summit
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The forces found a gap east of the coal-mining town of Dobropillia, and advanced about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Advertisement Zelenskyy noted its clear significance to the summit: 'To create a certain information backdrop ahead of Putin's meeting with Trump, especially in the American information space, suggesting that Russia is moving forward and Ukraine is losing ground.' Small groups of Russian troops are slipping past the first defensive line, hiding and trying to build up their forces, said Dmytro Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraine's 'Dnipro' operational-strategic group. Ukraine's military has been repelling these attempts, he said, although DeepState said the situation has not been stabilized. Analysts described the breach near Dobropillia as a localized crisis that could escalate if the Russians are not neutralized and their main forces can widen the gap. 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CNBC
9 minutes ago
- CNBC
Nothing is off the table as Trump and Putin set to meet
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