The 21-year-old son of the CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, Michael Gloss, was killed in the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone. He was serving in Russia's 137th Airborne Regiment and died in April 2024 during an assault operation in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), near the settlements of Razdolivka and Vesele.
According to media reports, the young man had been a scout, an environmental and women's rights activist, helped build homes in Honduras, and assisted with earthquake relief efforts in Turkey. In 2023, he dropped out of school to travel the world. That same year, he arrived in Crimea. He also visited Vladikavkaz and attended a music festival in Moscow. On social media, Gloss wrote about his intention to obtain Russian citizenship.
While traveling across Russia, he created an account on VKontakte (a Russian social media platform), where he followed groups about revolutionary and Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and communism, and posted videos featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Michael Gloss came from a military family. His mother, Julianne Gloss, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served over 30 years in the intelligence community. She served in the U.S. Navy and held various military roles before joining the CIA, where she became Deputy Director for Digital Innovation in February 2024.
Michael's father, Larry Gloss, is also a U.S. Navy veteran who took part in the invasion of Iraq. He now heads an organization that develops security software for the U.S. government and other NATO countries. He holds degrees in mathematics, operations research, space systems, national security, and information technology.
Michael's family published an obituary following his death. It described his childhood and his life as 'fiercely beautiful,' stating that he should be remembered "for his noble heart and warrior spirit.”
"Michael had a heightened sense of fairness, and saw those in our community who are unseen and unheard — whether they were people, or animals, plants or streams. He wanted the world to be a better place with more fairness, peace and harmony with nature. In his brief life, he built houses in Honduras, he restored buildings in Türkiye destroyed by earthquakes, he worked on farms in Italy learning sustainable agriculture," the tribute read.
It also mentioned that he loved the characters of British author and poet J. R.R. Tolkien, as well as Finn and Jake from the animated series Adventure Time.
"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,” the family wrote.