Alone-immigrated soldier killed in Lebanon had once neutralized a terrorist and won a presidential honor

Staff Sgt. (res.) Alexander Filin was identified Thursday after being killed by an explosive device in the village of al-Taybeh in southern Lebanon. Filin, who immigrated alone from Ukraine about 14 years ago through the Naale program, studied at Aloni Yitzhak boarding school and later lived in Raanana.

During his regular service, he served as a sniper in the Nahal Brigade. In a 2018 interview with local outlet Tzomet HaSharon, he said he had wanted to join an elite unit but was not allowed to because he was a new immigrant without strong Hebrew and without security clearance. “Because I am an immigrant from Ukraine they did not allow me,” he said. “I did not have good Hebrew and there was no security clearance, so I chose to enlist in Nahal.”

Filin also said he did not feel alone in Israel. “I am with many soldiers like me, so I do not feel lonely,” he said, adding, “I love life in Israel more than in Ukraine.” The interview came after he was chosen as a presidential outstanding soldier in 2018.

He described a life-saving incident two years earlier, saying he took part in an attack at the Shchem checkpoint when a terrorist tried to harm his friend. “I shot him and basically neutralized him, and that is how I saved my friend’s life,” Filin said. “We deal with difficult things in the IDF and do not think about it from the outside. We protect the civilians and the country.” He also said of the honor, “It is a very high-level moment. Not everyone receives it, so apparently they saw that I do good things.” Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav eulogized him Thursday, saying Filin answered the call, left his routine and loved ones, and went out to defend Israel’s security and citizens.