According to an investigation by independent Russian media, an American identified as the son of the CIA’s deputy director was murdered in eastern Ukraine in 2024.
21-year-old Michael Alexander Gross passed away on April 4, 2024 in “East Europe,” according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Julian Gallina. Deputy Director of Digital Innovation at Central Intelligence Agency February 2024.
The story of the son of a top-ranked US spy fighting and dying for a full-scale Ukraine invasion by Vladimir Putin is an unlikely tale of homemade rage and online radicalization in the US that began as a middle-class Virginia childhood into the killing sector of eastern Ukraine.
On the vkontakte page, which is attributed to Gloss, a high school soccer player born to his parents who served in the military, he said, “A supporter of the multipolar world. I ran away from home. I traveled the world. I hate fascism. I love my hometown.” He also posted the flags of Russia and Palestinian.
According to ISTORIES, the research website, Gross is one of more than 1,500 foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian military since February 2022.. The registered office database was later leaked and revealed to him that he had signed the contract in September 2023. Sources told ISTORIES in December 2023 that Gross was deployed with an “Assault Unit,” an “Assault Unit,” which is engaged in tough frontline battles.
“With his noble heart and warrior spirit, Michael was forged his own hero’s journey when he was tragically killed in Eastern Europe on April 4, 2024,” his family wrote in an obituary.
At university, Gloss was active in gender equality and environmental protests. He joined the Rainbow family, a left-wing environmental protest group, and traveled to Hatay, Turkey in 2023 to help recover after the earthquake, which killed more than 56,000 people. He was also increasingly angry with the United States due to Israel’s support and the war in Gaza.
While in Türkiye, Gross began to express his desire to go to Russia. “He usually watched videos about Palestine and was very angry at America,” an acquaintance told Istry. “He started thinking about going to Russia. He wanted to fight America. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory video.”
After receiving a visa to Russia, he traveled around the country before arriving in Moscow, where he joined the army just before the documents expired. Photos and videos obtained by Istories showed that he had been sent to a training camp in Russia. Three months after joining the army, an acquaintance said he had been deployed to Ukraine as a member of the Assault Battalion.
Many acquaintances told the outlet that he was not interested in the fight, but they wanted the Army to allow him to receive his Russian passport and stay in the country.
The circumstances of Gross’ death are unknown. A friend said his family had been notified of his death by the Russian government, but little other information was given. “It was announced that he had died at the Ukrainian border,” a friend wrote. “I don’t know if he was in the war or not. They didn’t provide any other detailed information.”
It was not clear whether the Russians did a background check on Gross or whether they knew the identity of their mother. The Guardian approached the CIA to comment on the report.
