diff --git a/hack/.ci/deploy-release-gke.sh b/hack/.ci/deploy-release-gke.sh
index 18c8c014044..5f2588e4f60 100755
--- a/hack/.ci/deploy-release-gke.sh
+++ b/hack/.ci/deploy-release-gke.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ trap gather-artifacts-on-exit EXIT
 SO_NODECONFIG_PATH="${SO_NODECONFIG_PATH=${parent_dir}/manifests/cluster/nodeconfig.yaml}"
 export SO_NODECONFIG_PATH
 
+SO_SCYLLACLUSTER_STORAGECLASS_NAME="${SO_SCYLLACLUSTER_STORAGECLASS_NAME=scylladb-local-xfs}"
+export SO_SCYLLACLUSTER_STORAGECLASS_NAME
+
+SO_SCYLLA_OPERATOR_LOGLEVEL="${SO_SCYLLA_OPERATOR_LOGLEVEL:-4}"
+export SO_SCYLLA_OPERATOR_LOGLEVEL
+
 # We need to strip the tag because skopeo doesn't support references with both a tag and a digest.
 SO_IMAGE="${SO_IMAGE/:*([^:\/])@/@}"
 echo "${SO_IMAGE}"