Born on October 4, 1901 in the village of Seredinovka, Sampursky District, Tambov Region. In the Red Army from April 15, 1920 - red army soldier of the 20th Reserve Regiment (Zhelezkom detachment). Since July 1920 - cadet of the Tambov Infantry Courses. From October 7, 1920 - cadet of the 7th Cadet Regiment. From January 10, 1921 - adet of the 58th Zaporozhye Infantry Courses. From April 22, 1922 - cadet of the 51st Infantry Courses (from January 10, 1923, the 6th Kharkov Infantry School). He was the platoon commander of the regimental school of the 41st Rifle Regiment of the 14th Rifle Division from September 1924. Since August 1925 - Course Commander of the Ivanovo-Voznesenskaya Infantry School. He attended the Frunze Military Academy from April 1930. From May 10, 1933 - Assistant Chief of Operations of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade headquarters. From September 6, 1933 - Chief of the Intelligence Department. From November 1935 - Chief of the Operational Department of the headquarters of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade. He became the Chief of the 1st Department of the Armored Vehicle Department of the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army from July 1936. From April 1, 1937 - Chief of Staff of the 23rd Mechanized Brigade. Since August 9, 1938 - at the disposal of the command staff of the Red Rrmy. Dismissed from the Red Army on August 24, 1938 under article 44 "v". He was reinstated in the Red Army on June 11, 1939 and appointed Chief of Staff of the 42nd Tank Brigade. Chief of the 1st Department of the Motor-Armored Forces of the Volga Military District (August 15, 1939-July 15, 1940). From July 29, 1940 - Commander of the 9th Motor Transport Regiment. From November 25, 1940 - Chief of the Motor-Armored Service of the 66th Rifle Corps. From March 12, 1941 - Chief of Staff of the 10th Mechanized Corps. Chief of Staff of the Kingisepp sector (section) of the Luzhskaya defense line. From September 14, 1941 - Chief of the Motor-Armored Troops of the 48th Army. Since September 21, 1941 - at the disposal of the Chief Directorate of Motor-Armored Troops. Since September 1941 - Chief of the Motor-Armored Troops of the 5th Army. From February 10, 1942 -Deputy Commander of the 5th Army. Since May 21, 1942 - Chief of Staff of the Chief Directorate of Motor-Armored Troops. From January 1943 - Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armored and Mechanised Troops of the Red Army and up to May 27, 1943 - Chief of Staff. From January 1944 - Chief of Staff of the 6th Tank Army. He was recovering from a disaster in the hospital of the 27th Army from August 18, 1944 to October 5, 1944. From October 15, 1944 - 2nd Deputy and from February 5, 1945 - 1st Deputy Commander of the 5th Guards Tank Army. From April 16, 1946 - Commander and from August 22, 1946 - Chief of Staff of the 5th Guards Tank Army. On 12 August 1947 - Chief of Staff of the 8th Mechanized Army of Transcarpathian Military District. He attended the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy since July 1950. Since January 4, 1952 - Commander of the Armored and Mechanized Troops of the Odessa Military District. From January 15, 1954 - Assistant Commander of the Odessa Military District for tank armament. He had been a senior lecturer at the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy since January 4, 1955. Since May 18, 1955 - Assistant Commander of the Nothern Group jf Armies and simultaneously Chief of the combat training Department. He was dismissed to reserve on July 10, 1961. He lived in Moscow, where he died in 1987. He was buried at Vvedenskoye Cemetery. Military ranks: Major (1936), Colonel (1940), Major General of armored troops (23.08.1943), Lieutenant General (31.05.1954). Awarded: the Order of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War 1st degree, the Order of Suvorov 2nd degree, the Polish Order Cross of Grunwald, the Romanian Order of Tudor Vladimirescu and many medals. By the decision of the 8th session of the city Council of People's Deputies of the 17th convocation on October 20, 1981, retired Lieutenant General Dmitry Zaev was awarded the title of Honorary citizen of the city of Mozhaisk.