Zelenskyy appoints Sviatoslav Zaiets commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Sviatoslav Zaiets as the new commander of the country's Ground Forces, replacing Hennadii Shapovalov, as announced by a decree signed on September 2. Zaiets, a seasoned military officer, had previously held the position of commander for the 20th Army Corps of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

He had also been actively serving during Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Prior to his current role, Zaiets commanded the reconnaissance company of the 25th Airborne Brigade, and was engaged in training in Crimea when it was occupied by Russian forces. Despite the occupation, Zaiets chose not to comply with the imposed conditions and successfully led his unit back to mainland Ukraine, as reported by the FMarmy news outlet.

Zaiets' colleagues and subordinates have praised him for his modern approach to military leadership, highlighting his understanding of digitalization and robotization in contemporary warfare, according to the Hromadske news source. Hennadii Shapovalov, who had been serving as the Ground Forces commander since June 19, 2025, was dismissed by Zelensky's decree, with no specific reasons provided for the decision.