President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Brigadier General Sviatoslav Zaiets as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the relevant Decree No. 853/2026 on September 2, 2026. The decree was signed on September 2, 2026.

Sviatoslav Zaiets is a veteran of the Air Assault Forces. In 2014, he commanded the reconnaissance company of the 25th Airborne Brigade during the occupation of Crimea. After russian forces blockaded the unit, Sviatoslav Zaiets led the personnel to mainland Ukraine.

He later served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 8th Air Assault Corps.

In April 2026, Zaiets was appointed commander of the 20th Army Corps, and in May, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General.

While commanding the corps, Zaiets focused, among other things, on digitalizing command and control and developing the use of unmanned systems. He will now lead the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.