Zelenskyy appointed Sviatoslav Zaits as commander of the Army
On Wednesday, September 2, Sviatoslav Zaitse was appointed the new commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Ground Forces. The decision was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“To appoint Sviatoslav Anatoliyovych Zaitse as commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the document states.
In a separate decree, the head of state dismissed the previous commander of the Land Forces from his post.
“To dismiss Gennadiy Mykolayovych Shapovalov from the position of commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the presidential decree states.
Svyatoslav Zaitsev is a veteran of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2014, he was participating in exercises in Crimea—which was later occupied—when Russia sent its troops to the peninsula.
At that time, Zaits commanded a reconnaissance company of the 25th Airborne Brigade, which consisted of about a hundred soldiers. For a month, the Ukrainian paratroopers remained blockaded but refused to comply with the demands of the Russian occupiers.
Eventually, Zaitsev led his unit back to mainland Ukraine and continued his service in the Airborne Forces.
He later became chief of staff—deputy commander—of the 8th Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In December 2016, Zaitse was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class. He received the award for his personal contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, as well as for his courage, dedication, and high level of professionalism while performing his military duties.
In April 2026, Sviatoslav Zaitse was appointed commander of the 20th Army Corps. His predecessor, Viktor Nikoluk, took command of the “East” Operational Command.
Source: the President’s official website
On the morning of September 2, Russian forces continued their attack on Ukraine with strike drones. Explosions were heard in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, where air defense forces are operating.
On the night of September 1, Russia launched a massive strike against Ukraine using missiles and more than 170 drones. Air defense forces repelled the attack, during which the enemy used, among other things, “Iskander” and “Banderol” missiles.
Russian troops attacked one of the industrial facilities in the Poltava district. Rescue workers were on the scene following the enemy strike.
