The son of peasants, Vasily Ivanovich Shvetsov was born on 12 March 1898 in the village of Lykovskaya, Cherepovetsky Uyezd, Novgorod Governorate.

After graduating from the Vakhonkino two-year ministerial school, Shvetsov worked as a carpenter on the construction of the Murmansk Railroad bridges at the Shonguy siding and the Kola station.

As part of a consolidated student brigade he fought as a squad leader on the Southern Front against the Army of Wrangel and the Makhnovites near Orekhov, Gulyai-Pole, Aleksandrovsk, and Melitopol.

He transferred to serve as a tactics instructor in the commanders section of the Novocherkassk Higher Cavalry School in October 1924.

[4] Just before Operation Barbarossa began, the 133rd Rifle Division was transferred west and from July held the line in the area of Dorogobuzh as part of the 24th Army of the Reserve Front.

At the beginning of February due to a strong flanking German counterattack the 29th Army was itself cut off, but managed to break out with desperate efforts.

Its units broke through the German defenses to a depth of up to 30 kilometers and reached the Volga in the sector east of the cities of Rzhev and Zubtsov.

Shvetsov, promoted to lieutenant general on 16 October,[4] led the army in the Nevel and Gorodok offensives.

After the inconclusive Gorodok offensive, Shvetsov was relieved of command on 30 December and placed at the disposal of the Main Personnel Directorate for further assignment.

On 3 July 1944 Shvetsov was appointed commander of the 23rd Army of the Leningrad Front, which fought in the elimination of the Finnish bridgehead on the Vuoksi.

[2] After the end of the war, Shvetsov continued to command the 23rd Army in the Leningrad Military District until its disbandment.