Svyatoslav Zaits is the current commanding officer of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Zaitsya replaced the previous Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov after his dismissal by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. His appointment was made public on September 2, 2026.
Biography Zaits served in the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces. In 2014 Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula where Zaitsya was stationed with the 25th Airborne Brigade where he lead a unit of around 100 men in the defense of the Crimean Peninsula.
He then served as the Chief of staff and Deputy Commanding Officer of the 8th Corps of the Air Assault Forces and later the 20th Army Corps.
In 2024 Zaitsya also held the role of commander of training for all Ukrainian Airborne operations until 2026 when he was appointed the commanding officer of the 20th Army Corps until his promotion to Brigadier General in 2026 and assignment as commander of Ukrainian Land Forces in the same year.
Awards and Recognition Zaitsya was awarded the Medal "For Military Service to Ukraine" in 2015.
He was inducted as a Full Knight of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky; Third Degree on December 2 of 2016, he then earned his second and first degree Knighthood in 2022, his second degree on May 22, 2022, and his first degree on November 17, 2022.
References