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CIA Deputy Director’s Son Michael Gloss Joined Russian Army, Killed in Donetsk Region
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Michael Alexander Gloss, a 21-year-old American citizen and the son of Julian Gallina Gloss, the CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, and Iraq veteran Larry Gloss, died on April 4, 2024, while serving in the Russian military.
In an obituary published by his family, they expressed their profound sorrow, stating, “It is with tremendous sorrow, the Gloss family conveys the loss of their beloved son and brother, Michael Alexander Gloss.”
Russian investigative journalists reported that in July 2022, Michael was arrested during a climate protest, with a photo of him in handcuffs appearing on the front page of The Washington Post.
The protestors, including Michael, were attempting to disrupt a corporate-sponsored baseball game, claiming that such events were hindering the passage of laws aimed at addressing climate change.
Gloss joined a group, The Rainbow Family , often posting in the group chat. Founded in the late 1960s as a spin-off of the anti-war and hippie movements, the Rainbow Family describes itself as “the largest, most coordinated, non-political, non-denominational, non-organization of like-minded people on the planet.”
In mid-2023, Gloss traveled to Russia, stating in group chats that he intended to attend a Rainbow Family gathering in Crimea. He began the process of securing a visa, writing, “Since I was born in America, I need an invitation. Please share any paid websites to get one—need connections with Russia.” By July, he had enrolled at the Avangard training center in Moscow region.
Footage from the period shows Gloss, under the alias Hamza Ali, alongside other foreign volunteers, primarily from Nepal. According to individuals familiar with the recruitment process, foreign nationals often waited up to two weeks after initial processing before being transferred to military units.
An acquaintance who hosted Michael in Istanbul recalls, “He believed Western hegemony was fading, to be replaced by BRICS.” Another friend said Michael expressed anger at America, even contemplating joining Russia to fight the US.
Gloss is first reported cited at a Russian training camp, one of his friends there was the Chinese mercenary Ruiqi Sun, who, after expressing dissatisfaction on social media about the conditions of service in the Russian army, was able to successfully return to China. Gloss enlisted without informing his family.
In a Telegram chat, when asked, “Are you from the States?” Michael responded, “Unfortunately, yes. I was born here.” Earlier, in April 2022, he posted a video of an American flag being burned.
Despite his family’s concerns, including repeated pleas from his mother for him to return home, Gloss proceeded with his plans. He eventually joined a foreign volunteer unit and trained at Russia’s Avangard training center before being deployed to Ukraine.
In the early days after arriving at the military unit, Michael created a profile on Odnoklassniki . The same bunk beds shown in his avatar on the social network can be seen in other videos featuring Nepalese soldiers. These videos were filmed at the 137th Airborne Regiment (military unit 41450) in Ryazan, as discovered by Vazhie Istorii.
Gloss was reportedly deployed to a unit affiliated with Russia’s 137th Regiment, which was active near Soledar in Donetsk region. On December 19, 2023, he sent a voice message to acquaintances stating, “I’m in Russia, working here… trying to get a passport and save up to travel in Africa. It’s minus ten, and I haven’t seen the sun in a month, but I’m doing well.”
He was last seen in December before being assigned to an assault group. According to his friend Pyotr, “If I’m not mistaken, he was sent to storm units after his training.” Gloss’s death coincided with Russian military operations near the villages of Razdolivka and Vesele.
On April 4, 2024, Gloss was killed in combat in Donetsk. The details surrounding his death remain unclear, but it was confirmed by both his family and a fellow soldier, who stated that Gloss had been assigned to assault units after training. Gloss’s family was notified of his death by Russian authorities.
In related news, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on April 24 endorsed US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Crimea, stating that they “fully align with Russia’s position.”
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