Putin ‘Awarded’ CIA Deputy Director Gloss, Whose Son Michael Fought for Russia Against Ukraine, with Order of Lenin
IStories was the first to report the Michael Gloss story
Доступно на русскомDuring the visit of U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow, Vladimir Putin handed him the Order of Lenin (the highest state award of the USSR, no longer awarded) for CIA Deputy Director Julian Gallina Gloss. Her son was killed in Ukraine while serving in the ranks of the Russian Airborne Forces. This was reported by CBS, citing sources.
Julian Gallina Gloss still holds the post of CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation. Whether the order was presented to her is unknown, according to CBS.
The Order of Lenin was sometimes awarded to foreigners who worked for Soviet intelligence. For example, among the recipients was one of the leaders of British intelligence, Kim Philby, whom the USSR recruited back in the 1930s.
“Putin’s gesture — he is known for his psychological games and attempts to spot opponents’ vulnerabilities — was likely a diversionary maneuver intended to emphasize that the son of a CIA officer fought on Russia’s side in this war,” journalists write. The White House and the CIA have not commented on these reports.
Previously, Donald Trump called the talks between Witkoff and Putin in Moscow “extremely productive”; as a result, the sides are negotiating the first personal meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States in many years.
- Michael Gloss was the son of CIA Deputy Director Julian Gloss and Larry Gloss, the creator of software for the U.S. Defense Department and NATO. He dropped out of college in the U.S. in 2023, joined the hippie movement, and set off to travel the world. That summer, he ended up in Russia, and by autumn, he had signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. On April 4, 2024, he was killed, reportedly near Veseloye, Donetsk Oblast, while serving in the 137th Regiment of Russia’s Airborne Forces. He was 21 years old.
- Gloss’s fate was first reported by IStories in April 2025; the full investigation can be read here.
- Gloss’s death was acknowledged both by the CIA and by his family. The young man’s parents stated that his decision to join the Russian army was caused by psychological problems and his refusal to continue medication.