Israeli military officials confirmed Thursday that a young tank officer died during combat operations in southern Lebanon when Hezbollah militants targeted his unit with anti-tank missiles.
Military authorities identified the fallen soldier as Lt. Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, a 21-year-old Jerusalem resident who served as a tank crew member with the 77th Battalion of the Armored Corps. At the time of the deadly strike, Volansky was deployed alongside a Golani Brigade combat team.
Israeli Defense Forces reported that militants launched two anti-tank missiles at the military unit. While defensive systems successfully intercepted the first projectile, the second missile struck Volansky’s tank directly. Four additional service members, including two officers, received minor wounds during the engagement. Israeli troops responded by directing gunfire and artillery strikes toward the location where the missiles originated.
The deceased officer came from a distinguished military family – his father, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky, currently holds the position of defense establishment comptroller and previously led the same battalion where his son served. Volansky was also the grandson of Rabbi Oded Volansky, a well-known leader within the religious Zionist movement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz honored the fallen soldier, stating that Volansky “fell in heroic combat in southern Lebanon defending the State of Israel and its citizens.” Katz noted that the young officer’s father works closely with him and praised the elder Volansky as “a man of mission, dedication and integrity.”
This deadly incident occurred in the same operational area where another soldier, Staff Sgt. Ori Greenberg, 21, a Golani reconnaissance specialist from Petah Tikva, lost his life during overnight close-range fighting with Hezbollah operatives. In related incidents, one officer received moderate wounds from Israeli military fire, while 14 soldiers required hospital treatment for suspected cold-weather exposure.
