CIA official's son died while fighting in Ukraine, report says

ISTANBUL

A senior CIA official's son died last year "while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine," according to a CIA spokesperson on Friday, NBC reported.

Michael Gloss, the 21-year-old son of Juliane Gallina, the CIA’s deputy director for digital innovation, died in the spring of 2024, the spokesperson said.

The agency described the death as a “private family matter,” and said Gloss had struggled with mental health issues.

The spokesperson said the entire CIA “family is heartbroken for their loss” and emphasized that the case is not considered a national security issue.

NBC reported that the Russian media outlet Important Stories was the first to reveal Gloss' death, citing Russian government documents and his social media posts. Gloss had reportedly traveled extensively before eventually signing up with Russian forces, the report said.

On social media, Gloss had shared a photo of himself smiling in Moscow’s Red Square and voiced sympathy for Russia’s war effort, referring to it as a fight against “the Ukraine Proxy war.” He also accused Western media of hiding the truth about the war and described Ukraine’s military as "corrupt" and "overwhelmed."