Drapatyi introduces new Ground Forces Commander Zaits to personnel and sets key tasks
On Saturday, 5 September, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, introduced Brigadier General Sviatoslav Zaits, the new Commander of the Ground Forces, to the personnel.
The Commander-in-Chief reported this on Facebook, according to Censor.NET.
Appointment of the commander
"Today, I introduced to the personnel the new Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Brigadier General Sviatoslav Zaits, appointed by decree of the President of Ukraine. The reasons for this choice are his experience in commanding troops, his ability to turn decisions into results and his capacity to introduce new technologies where they provide a genuine battlefield advantage," Drapatyi said.
Key tasks
The Commander-in-Chief also outlined the tasks for Zaiets and the Ground Forces Command staff.
In particular, Drapatyi stressed that service members must be properly trained, equipped, and protected from unjustified risks. They must understand what is required of them today and what awaits them tomorrow.
Next comes training. The Commander-in-Chief noted that no one should enter combat unprepared. Training must reflect what service members will encounter at their positions tomorrow, rather than follow programmes from previous years.
"Leadership. Professionals must see a path for their advancement. Promotion must be based on competence, service performance and leadership qualities. We must begin developing the next generation of officers and non-commissioned officers. Technology. Unmanned, digital and other new capabilities must not be introduced merely to increase figures in reports. The criterion is simple: a battlefield advantage felt by the enemy and the lives of our people saved because of it. Combat experience. Lessons about what is working or not working on the frontline today must quickly reach those who train, plan and make decisions," Drapatyi said, outlining the other tasks.
He stressed that all these changes must be measured by one practical criterion: what they change for service members and for units in combat.
"Our people are the most valuable combat capability of the Armed Forces. Therefore, the new commander’s task is not merely to change structures and processes. His task is to make the Ground Forces capable of accomplishing combat missions and better for the people who serve in them," the Commander-in-Chief said.
Thanks to predecessor
Drapatyi thanked (former commander – Ed.) Hennadii Shapovalov for his work and wished the new Ground Forces Commander "to accomplish more in this post than the two of us managed to."
Background
It was reported earlier that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had appointed Sviatoslav Zaits as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
