The son of CIA Deputy Director Julianne Gallina, 21-year-old Michael Alexander Gross, was killed while fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine last year, as reported by the investigative outlet Istories, which referenced a leaked Moscow military recruitment database. Gross died on April 4, 2024, and was later buried in his hometown of Fairfax, Virginia, with his family being informed of his death in October. His obituary mentions only that he was “tragically killed in Eastern Europe” and does not address his military service.
Previously a climate activist, Gross left school to join various counterculture groups advocating for Palestinian causes. He moved to Russia in August 2023 and enlisted at a military recruitment center in September. After brief training, he was deployed to eastern Ukraine by December 2023, with his last online presence noted in March. Friends indicated that Gross desired Russian citizenship to support environmental projects, though he initially claimed not to intend to fight. The obituary highlighted his aspiration for a peaceful, equitable world.
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