Ivan Yuriyovych Svyda (; born 15 February 1950) is a Ukrainian military general who served as Chief of General Staff from 2009 to 2010. He submitted his letter of resignation from the military on 29 May 2010.

Biography

He was born on 15 February 1950, in the village of Patskanovo,

Uzhhorod Raion Uzhhorod Raion (, ) is one of the raions (districts) of Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is located in the city of Uzhhorod. Over 30% of population in the raion speak the Hungarian language according to the Ukraini ...

Zakarpattia Oblast Zakarpattia Oblast (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Закарпатська область), also referred to as simply Zakarpattia (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Закарпаття; Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Kárpátalja'') or Transcar ...

. In 1971, he graduated from Uzhhorod State University. In 1972, he was appointed commander of a motorized rifle platoon of the

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

. From 1974 to 1977, he served as the commander of a motorized rifle company, chief of staff of a motorized rifle battalion, and commander of a motorized rifle battalion. In 1975, he graduated from the Ordzhonikidziv higher military command school as an external student . In 1980, he graduated from the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (), was a military academy of the Soviet and later the Russian Armed Forces ...

. In 1980, he was appointed deputy commander of the motorized rifle regiment of the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of First Republic of Armenia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan, and Democratic Republic ...

. In 1992, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. Since 1992 he has served in the ranks of the

Armed Forces of Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

. In 1992, he was appointed commander of the 17th Tank Division of the 6th Army Corps of the

Odesa Military District The Odessa Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This district consisted of Moldavia and five Ukrainian oblasts of Odesa (then spelled ''Odessa''), Mykolaiv, Kherson, Crimea an ...

. He was promoted to Major General on 21 August 1993. From 1998 to 2005, he was the first deputy commander of the troops of the Southern Operational Command, Commander of the 32nd Army Corps of the Southern Operational Command of the

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

. He was promoted to Lieutenant General on 23 August 1998. In July 2005, he was appointed commander of the forces of the Southern Operational Command. Since 25 June 2007, he has been the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. On 20 August 2008, he was awarded the military rank of colonel general. By the decree of the President of Ukraine dated 18 November 2009, he was appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff. On 15 February 2010, he was awarded the military rank of

General of the Army Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

. On 29 May 2010, he resigned, declaring that he recognized "the right of the president to implement his vision of the ways of development of the Armed Forces." "As an officer and a responsible person, I am ready to work in difficult conditions to strengthen the country's defense. In the current situation, I recognize the right of the President to realize his vision of the ways of development of the Armed Forces. He will do it with another Chief of the General Staff," says the report to the president. Ivan Svyda also expressed dissatisfaction with the financing of the Ukrainian Ground Forces by the

Mykola Azarov Mykola Yanovych Azarov (; ; née, né Pakhlo, Cyrillic: Пахло; born 17 December 1947) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 11 March 2010 to 27 January 2014. He was the First Vice Prime Minister an ...

cabinet.

Awards

Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky II degree (29 November 2005)

References

External links

Biography
South–Ukrainian Institute of Biography. {{DEFAULTSORT:Svyda, Ivan 1950 births Living people People from Zakarpattia Oblast Generals of the Army (Ukraine) Chiefs of the General Staff (Ukraine) Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class