Zelensky has appointed a general to oversee the coordination of Western aid to Ukraine.

Brigadier General Hennadiy Shapovalov, the commander of the Operational Command "South," will lead the Ukrainian team in the NATO mission coordinating Western military assistance to Ukraine.

This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address on the evening of January 19.

"And a second appointment: Brigadier General Hennadiy Shapovalov will work with our partners in [the German city] Wiesbaden, his task is to coordinate security assistance to Ukraine," the president stated.

Hennadiy Shapovalov has been the commander of Operational Command "South" since April 2024.

Born in 1978 in the Kirovohrad region, he graduated with honors from the Tank Troops Institute at the Kharkiv State Polytechnic University in 2000.

In 2012, he graduated with honors from the Command and Staff Institute of Military Application (Forces) at the National University of Defense of Ukraine.

The Operational Command "South" noted that Shapovalov has climbed the ranks of military career from tank platoon commander to commander of the separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. In March 2022, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general.

In addition to Hennadiy Shapovalov, on January 19, Zelensky also announced the appointment of Colonel Roman Kachur as the head of the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy.

Previously, a survey was conducted in the Army+ app, where Kachur was selected from five candidates for the position.

"Colonel Roman Kachur received the most votes. He knows the front well, having commanded the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade. I spoke with Colonel Kachur – he has a vision for what needs to change in military education, specifically at the National Army Academy," Zelensky stated in his address.

Background. Starting from December 2024, NATO took over the coordination of Western military assistance to Ukraine instead of the United States.

To this end, a new NATO mission was established in Wiesbaden, Germany, in July 2024, to coordinate training and security assistance to Ukraine. It was named NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

Approximately 700 servicemen from member and partner countries of the Alliance are part of this mission.

The head of the mission reports directly to the commander of the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe and includes an existing U.S. group stationed in Wiesbaden, which works on supplying weapons and training personnel.

Additionally, there is another support center for Ukraine operating under NATO in Europe – the JATEC mission in Poland (Analysis, Training, and Education Centre).

This center allows Ukraine to share the experience it has gained during the Russian-Ukrainian war and provides opportunities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to train and exercise alongside Alliance partners.