On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree appointing Sviatoslav Zaiets as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the corresponding document signed by the head of state. The text of the decree explicitly states: “Appoint Zaiets Sviatoslav Anatolyovych as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” Thus, a personnel change took place in the key command position of the army's ground component, which was completed on the same day by the dismissal of his predecessor.

Who Was Replaced in the Position

By a separate decree, Zelensky dismissed Hennadii Nikolaievych Shapovalov from the position of Commander of the Ground Forces: “Dismiss Shapovalov Hennadii Nikolaievych from the position of Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” In other words, Zaiets's appointment and Shapovalov's dismissal were formalized by parallel acts and took effect simultaneously, which rules out any period of “vacant” command and ensures continuity of control over the ground component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Profile of the New Commander: A Path from the Air Assault Forces

Sviatoslav Zaiets is a graduate of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces. His name became known to the wider public back in 2014, when he was at a training exercise in Crimea at the moment Russia deployed its troops onto the peninsula. At the time, Zaiets commanded a reconnaissance company of the 25th Airborne Brigade, which consisted of about a hundred servicemen. According to available data, for a month the Ukrainian paratroopers remained blockaded but refused to comply with the demands of the Russian occupiers. In the end, Zaiets led the unit out to the mainland part of Ukraine and continued his service in the Air Assault Forces — an episode that in the professional community became one of the key arguments in favor of his command potential.

Career and Awards

After Crimea, Zaiets steadily rose up the service ladder and subsequently took the position of Chief of Staff — Deputy Commander of the 8th Corps of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In December 2016, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class, which he received for his personal contribution to strengthening Ukraine's defense capability, his courage, self-sacrifice, and high professionalism in fulfilling his military duty. These facts give the new commander a reputation as an officer with proven combat and command experience, not merely staff training.

Recent Appointments Before the Move to the Ground Forces

Immediately before his appointment as Commander of the Ground Forces, Zaiets took over the 20th Army Corps in April 2026. His predecessor in this post, Viktor Nykoliuk, in turn was sent to head the “East” Operational Command. Thus, Zaiets's move to the level of commanding the Ground Forces became a logical continuation of his career trajectory from a corps commander to the commander of an entire branch of the armed forces.

Context of a Broad Personnel Reshuffle

Zaiets's appointment fits into a broader wave of personnel decisions that Zelensky made in late August — early September 2026. Thus, on August 31 the president relieved Oleksandr Kamyshyn of his duties as advisor on strategic issues. On the same day, Zelensky appointed Vadym Chenchyk, Deputy Head of the State Border Service, as the acting head of the agency. The totality of these steps points to a systematic rotation of personnel both in the security bloc and in the entourage of the head of state, against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities.