Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
| Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces | |
|---|---|
| Командувач Сухопутних військ ЗС України | |
 Ensign of the Commander | |
since 19 June 2025 | |
 Ukrainian Ground Forces | |
| Abbreviation | CGF ZSU |
| Member of | General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces |
| Reports to | Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces |
| Residence | Kyiv |
| Appointer | The president |
| Formation | 7 April 1994 |
| First holder | Vasyl Sobkov |
The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces (Ukrainian: Командувач Сухопутних військ) is the professional head of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. In 2001–2005 it was known as commander-in-chief (Ukrainian: Головнокомандувач Сухопутних військ).
While the chief of ground forces post had been created in early 1992, it was over two years before the first holder, Colonel General Vasyl Sobkov, was appointed on 7 April 1994.[1]
List of commanders
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| Commander (Командувач Сухопутних військ) | ||||||
| 1 | Colonel General Vasyl Sobkov (1944–2020) | 7 April 1994 | 30 September 1998 | 4 years, 5 months | . | |
| 2 | Colonel General Petro Shulyak (born 1945) | 30 September 1998 | 20 August 2001 | 2 years, 10 months | . | |
| Commander-in-Chief (Головнокомандувач Сухопутних військ) | ||||||
| (2) | Colonel General Petro Shulyak (born 1945) | 20 August 2001 | 27 November 2001 | 3 months | . | |
| – | Lieutenant General Mykola Palchuk (1945–2016) Acting | 27 November 2001 | 19 December 2001 | 0 months | . | |
| 3 | Colonel General Oleksandr Zatynaiko (born 1949) | 19 December 2001 | 13 August 2002 | 7 months | . | |
| – | Lieutenant General Mykola Palchuk (1945–2016) Acting | 13 August 2002 | October 2003 | 1 year, 2 months | . | |
| – | Lieutenant General Valeriy Frolov (born 1949) Acting | November 2003 | 19 July 2004 | 8 months | . | |
| 4 | Colonel General Mykola Petruk (born 1950) | 19 July 2004 | 16 June 2005 | 10 months | . | |
| Commander (Командувач Сухопутних військ) | ||||||
| (4) | Colonel General Mykola Petruk (born 1950) | 16 June 2005 | 6 May 2006 | 10 months | . | |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Valeriy Frolov (born 1949) | 26 May 2006 | 28 June 2007 | 1 year, 1 month | . | |
| 6 | Colonel General Ivan Svyda (born 1950) | 25 June 2007 | 18 November 2009 | 2 years, 4 months | . | |
| 7 | Colonel General Henadii Vorobiov (1961–2017) | 18 November 2009 | 17 January 2014 | 4 years, 1 month | . | |
| – | ? Acting | 17 January 2014 | 6 April 2014 | 2 months | . | |
| – | Lieutenant General Anatoliy Pushnyakov (1954–2021) Acting | 6 April 2014 | 6 May 2014 | 1 month | [2] | |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Anatoliy Pushnyakov (1954–2021) | 6 May 2014 | 13 January 2016 | 1 year, 8 months | [3] | |
| – | Lieutenant General Ruslan Khomchak (born 1967) Acting | 13 January 2016 | 28 March 2016 | 2 months | [4] | |
| 9 | Colonel General Serhiy Popko (born 1961) | 28 March 2016 | 5 August 2019 | 3 years, 4 months | [5] | |
| 10 | Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (born 1965) | 5 August 2019 | 11 February 2024 | 4 years, 6 months | [6] | |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk (born 1970) | 11 February 2024 | 29 November 2024 | 10 months | [7] | |
| 12 | Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi (born 1982) | 29 November 2024 | 1 June 2025 | 6 months | [8][9] | |
| 13 | Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov (born 1978) | 19 June 2025 | Incumbent | 1 month | [10] | |
See also
- Commander of the Navy (Ukraine)
- Commander of the Air Force (Ukraine)
- Commander of the Air Defence Forces (Ukraine)
- Commander of the Air Assault Forces (Ukraine)
- Commander of the Marine Corps (Ukraine)
References
- ^ Jane's Sentinel: Ukraine, 1994.
- ^ Пушняков Анатолій Саватійович. Kodyma.od.ua
- ^ Порошенко звільнив командувача Сухопутними військами. Ukranews.
- ^ Ruslan Khomchak. Liga.net
- ^ President Petro Poroshenko appoints new Commander of Land Forces of Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
- ^ УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №578/2019. President of Ukraine
- ^ "Zelensky appoints 4 new high-level military commanders". The Kyiv Independent. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Harmash, Olena (29 November 2024). "Zelenskiy appoints new commander of Ukraine's land forces". Reuters. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Varenikova, Maria; Kuznietsova, Anastasia; Vasilyeva, Nataliya (1 June 2025). "Large-Scale Ukrainian Attack Targets Air Bases in Russia, Authorities Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №412/2025"Про призначення Г.Шаповалова командувачем Сухопутних військ Збройних Сил України"". 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
