Son of CIA Deputy Director Killed Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

In a stunning and tragic twist to the war in Ukraine, a 21-year-old American citizen, Michael Alexander Gloss, was killed in 2024 while fighting for the Russian military, despite being the son of Julianne Gallina Gloss, the Deputy Director for Digital Innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

According to an investigation by Russian independent outlet IStories, Gloss signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense on September 5, 2023. His involvement came to light through leaked records from Moscow’s Unified Medical Information and Analytical System (EMIAS).

From CIA Legacy to the Russian Front

Gloss’s decision to join Russia’s war effort is both perplexing and controversial, given his family background in the U.S. intelligence community. He was formally processed through a military recruitment office in Moscow, which listed its own address as his place of residence—standard practice for many foreign volunteers joining Russian forces. The same center also handled his medical evaluation.

By December 2023, Gloss was deployed to a frontline assault unit attached to the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment, operating northwest of Soledar in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. On April 4, 2024, he was reportedly killed in combat. The precise circumstances of his death remain unclear.

An obituary posted by his family confirmed his passing, and funeral home records reveal he was buried in the United States eight months later, underscoring the complexity and secrecy surrounding his case.

One of Over 1,500 Foreign Fighters for Russia

Michael Gloss is one of over 1,500 foreign nationals who have passed through Moscow’s central recruitment office during the war, as documented by IStories. Volunteers have reportedly come from 48 countries, including several European Union member states and the United States.

The presence of foreign fighters on Russia’s side highlights the murky and often contradictory allegiances playing out in the ongoing conflict. Gloss’s death, particularly given his family ties, raises serious questions about ideological motivations, recruitment methods, and the global dimensions of the war in Ukraine.