Drapatyi introduced the new Commander of the Ground Forces, Zaiets, and also acknowledged five key tasks

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi introduced the new Commander of the Ground Forces, Brigadier General Sviatoslav Zaiets, to the personnel, and also outlined tasks for the commander and the team, UNN reports.

The basis for this choice was his experience in commanding troops, his ability to turn decisions into results, and his ability to implement new technologies where they provide a real combat advantage 

The Commander-in-Chief outlined the following tasks for the Commander of the Ground Forces and the team:

1. People. A service member must be properly trained, equipped and protected from unjustified risk. They must understand what is expected of them today and what awaits them tomorrow.
2. Training. A person must not enter combat unprepared. Training must correspond to what a service member will see at a position tomorrow, rather than to the programs of past years.
3. Leadership. A professional must be able to see a path for their growth. Promotion should be based on competence, service results and leadership qualities. We must begin shaping the next generation of officers and sergeants.
4. Technology. Unmanned, digital and other new capabilities must be implemented not for the sake of numbers in reports. The criterion is simple: the combat advantage felt by the enemy and the lives of our people that this advantage helped save.
5. Combat experience. Conclusions about what is or is not working on the front line today must quickly reach those who train, plan and make decisions.

All these changes have one practical criterion: what they change for a person in the military and for a unit in combat. The most valuable combat capability of the Armed Forces is our people. Therefore, the task of the new commander is not simply to change structures and processes. His task is to make the Ground Forces capable of carrying out combat missions and better for the people who serve in them 

Drapatyi thanked Hennadiy Shapovalov for his work and wished the new Commander of the Ground Forces to accomplish more in this position.

We have a lot of diligent work ahead. Everything will work out 

For reference

Sviatoslav Zaiets has been appointed the new Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The relevant Decree No. 853/2026 dated September 2, 2026, was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.