The volunteer who died in Ukraine as part of the Russian army — 21-year-old Michael Gloss, son of the current CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovations Julian Gallina Gloss and Iraq veteran Larry Gloss, who now creates secure software for the US army and NATO countries, learned «Important Stories».
Michael studied at the most «green» college in the USA, protested against the abortion ban and in defense of the climate. He never managed to finish college — he set off on a journey around the world.
In 2023, he decided to become a hippie wanderer, dropped out of school, and went on a world journey. He posted photos on social media with the hashtag #endukrainewar, joined the anti-war hippie movement Rainbow family, visited an eco-activist camp, and cleared debris after earthquakes in Turkey.
«When I finally figured out how the US political system works, I realized that violence is an integral part of it. <...> Now there are too many forms of violence that the war has expanded into: financial violence, institutional, emotional, and, of course, physical. The American army now trains for financial warfare. The modern soldier is a businessman», — wrote Michael in one of the Telegram chats. In the status of his VKontakte page, Gloss indicated: «Supporter of a multipolar world. I hate fascism».
As a friend of Gloss recalls, over time Michael began to call himself Hamza, became a supporter of Palestine, started watching conspiracy videos, and talked about the ideas of a «multipolar world» and the war against the «hegemony of the West».
In Istanbul, Gloss obtained a Russian visa and went on another journey: from southern Russia to Moscow. Along the way, he acquired a USSR flag, created a VK account, subscribed to groups about Lenin, Stalin, and communism, and posted videos with Putin.
Gloss explained the purpose of his trip to Russia in different ways. In one of the chats, he introduced himself as a «traveler who wants to learn Russian through language immersion». On the same day, he wrote that he wants to move to Russia and obtain citizenship, and later in another chat — that he is going there to develop his environmental project.
When the American's visa was expiring, he found himself at a recruitment point for contract service. On September 5, 2023, a record with the data of Michael Alexander Gloss appeared in the EMIAS database. His address was listed as the recruitment point for a contract on Yablochkova Street, and the «apartment» — medical examination room number 302. This address was indicated for foreigners who came to Moscow to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and went to fight in Ukraine.
Michael Gloss died on April 4, 2024, his family reported in an obituary.
* Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent» and «undesirable» organization.