Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
Командувач Сухопутних військ ЗС України
Incumbent Mykhailo Drapatyi since 29 November 2024
Ukrainian Ground Forces
Reports to	Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
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		Sobkov, VasylColonel General Vasyl Sobkov (1944–2020)	7 April 1994	30 September 1998	4 years, 5 months	.
2		Shulyak, PetroColonel General Petro Shulyak (born 1945)	30 September 1998	20 August 2001	2 years, 10 months	.
Commander-in-Chief (Головнокомандувач Сухопутних військ)
(2)		Shulyak, PetroColonel General Petro Shulyak (born 1945)	20 August 2001	27 November 2001	3 months	.
–		Palchuk, MykolaLieutenant General Mykola Palchuk [uk] (1945–2016) Acting	27 November 2001	19 December 2001	0 months	.
3		Zatynaiko, OleksandrColonel General Oleksandr Zatynaiko (born 1949)	19 December 2001	13 August 2002	7 months	.
–		Palchuk, MykolaLieutenant General Mykola Palchuk [uk] (1945–2016) Acting	13 August 2002	October 2003	1 year, 2 months	.
–		Frolov, ValeriyLieutenant General Valeriy Frolov [uk] (born 1949) Acting	November 2003	19 July 2004	8 months	.
4		Mykola PetrukColonel General Mykola Petruk (born 1950)	19 July 2004	16 June 2005	10 months	.
Commander (Командувач Сухопутних військ)
(4)		Petruk, MykolaColonel General Mykola Petruk (born 1950)	16 June 2005	6 May 2006	10 months	.
5		Frolov, ValeriyLieutenant General Valeriy Frolov [uk] (born 1949)	26 May 2006	28 June 2007	1 year, 1 month	.
6		Svyda, IvanColonel General Ivan Svyda (born 1950)	25 June 2007	18 November 2009	2 years, 4 months	.
7		Vorobiov, HenadiiColonel General Henadii Vorobiov (1961–2017)	18 November 2009	17 January 2014	4 years, 1 month	.
–		? Acting	17 January 2014	6 April 2014	2 months	.
–		Pushnyakov, AnatoliyLieutenant General Anatoliy Pushnyakov (1954–2021) Acting	6 April 2014	6 May 2014	1 month	[2]
8		Pushnyakov, AnatoliyLieutenant General Anatoliy Pushnyakov (1954–2021)	6 May 2014	13 January 2016	1 year, 8 months	[3]
–		Khomchak, RuslanLieutenant General Ruslan Khomchak (born 1967) Acting	13 January 2016	28 March 2016	2 months	[4]
9		Popko, SerhiyColonel General Serhiy Popko (born 1961)	28 March 2016	5 August 2019	3 years, 4 months	[5]
10		Syrskyi, OleksandrColonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (born 1965)	5 August 2019	11 February 2024	4 years, 6 months	[6]
11		Pavliuk, OleksandrLieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk (born 1970)	11 February 2024	29 November 2024	10 months	[7]
12		Drapatyi, MykhailoMajor General Mykhailo Drapatyi (born 1982)	29 November 2024	Incumbent	0 months	[8]

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)

References

1. Jane's Sentinel: Ukraine, 1994.
2. Пушняков Анатолій Саватійович. Kodyma.od.ua
3. Порошенко звільнив командувача Сухопутними військами. Ukranews.
4. Ruslan Khomchak. Liga.net
5. President Petro Poroshenko appoints new Commander of Land Forces of Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
6. УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №578/2019. President of Ukraine
7. "Zelensky appoints 4 new high-level military commanders". The Kyiv Independent. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
8. Harmash, Olena (29 November 2024). "Zelenskiy appoints new commander of Ukraine's land forces". Reuters. Retrieved 29 November 2024.