School in occupied Donetsk unveils monument to son of CIA deputy director who fought for Russia in Ukraine

A school in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine has unveiled monuments to two servicemen who were killed while fighting on Moscow’s side in the full-scale invasion: Russian national Ivan Kokovin and U.S. citizen Michael Gloss. A Telegram statement from Donetsk’s Moscow-installed “mayor” Alexei Kulemzin featured videos and photos from the ceremony, including the musical number performed by the “Blue Berets” ensemble.

The mother of Michael Gloss, Juliane Gallina Gloss, is the CIA’s current Deputy Director for Digital Innovation. Michael’s father, Larry Gloss, a U.S. Navy veteran, heads Security Information Systems, a company that develops software for clients that include the Pentagon.

A plaque on Gloss’s monument reads: “A soldier is not a profession, but a calling. There is no foreign land for someone who fights for justice.” It also says he was killed “in fierce fighting for Chasiv Yar,” where he “assisted a wounded comrade.” The inscription ends with a line in English: “May the heroes be glorified!”

Gloss ended up in the Russian military in 2023 after several months of traveling. According to an investigation by the independent outlet Important Stories, he left the United States no later than the winter of 2023 after dropping out of college. He first lived in Italy, then went to Israel. After being deported from there, he spent several months in Turkey, where he attended the Rainbow Family “Balkan Gathering” and helped to clear debris after a Feb. 20, 2023 earthquake in Hatay Province.

Important Stories’ reporting indicates that Gloss signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry later on in 2023 and was subsequently deployed to the front with Russian Airborne Troops (VDV). On social media, Gloss posted photos from Moscow’s Red Square, expressed support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and criticized “Western propaganda.”

Gloss was killed on April 4, 2024, according to an obituary published by his family. His funeral took place in the United States on Dec. 21, 2024 — eight months after his death. Based on messages shared in Rainbow Family group chats, his relatives appear to have learned of his death approximately two months prior to the funeral.

This past August, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff delivered Russia’s Order of Courage, awarded by Vladimir Putin, to Gloss’s family.

On Dec. 9, the evening news on Russia’s Perviy Kanal (lit. “Channel One”) made mention of the unveiling in Donetsk. According to the Kremlin-controlled outlet, Gloss’s award was “handed over to the United States by Vladimir Putin and delivered by Donald Trump’s special envoy Steven Witkoff.”