Serhiy Ivanovich Naiev – Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2020 – 2024), Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Commander of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2018 – 2019).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on April 30, 1970 in the city of Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Vinnytsia region.
In 1991, he completed his studies at the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School.
In the period from 2006 to 2007, he was trained at the Faculty of Training Specialists of the Operational and Strategic Level of the National Defense Academy of Ukraine.
Military service
In 1991, he served in Germany, served as the commander of a motorized rifle platoon as part of an East German military group.
From 1992 to May 1993, he was at the disposal of the commander of the Far Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation (RF) as a combat officer with appropriate education.
Since May 1993, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). During the 1990s and early 2000s, he held various command positions within the Western and Southern Operational Commands.
He served in the 7th Mechanized Regiment, which was part of the 24th Mechanized Division, where he first commanded a platoon, later headed a reconnaissance company, and eventually a whole battalion.
He also served as commander of the 820th Mechanized Regiment, which was part of the 128th Division.
During the 2000s, he headed the 28th separate mechanized brigade.
From 2007 to early 2014, he served in various leadership positions in the 13th Army Corps of the Ground Forces of Ukraine.
In 2014, during the battles for Donetsk airport, he was in charge of sector “B”.
The following year, he took the post of chief of staff of the operational command “South”.
From 2015 to 2017, he headed the operational command “East”.
At the end of 2017 and at the beginning of 2018, with the rank of lieutenant general, he served as the first deputy commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine.
Since March 16, 2018, he has served as Commander of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On May 6, 2019, then-President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on his dismissal from office.
On March 28, 2020, by decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he was appointed Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, which began on February 24, 2022, he became the commander of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. On February 11, 2024, he was dismissed from his post.
After that, he commanded the Vuhledar tactical group.
Marital Status
Married to Natalia Naeva. The couple has two sons, Dmytro and Vladyslav, as well as a daughter, Yevhenia.
