Oleksandr Yakovets was born on September 21, 1972, in the village of Oleksiivka, Zhmerynka district, Vinnytsia region. He graduated from the Kamianets-Podilskyi Higher Military Engineering Command College (1993), the National Defense Academy (2005) and the National Defense University of Ukraine (2019). 

He began his career in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on August 1, 1989. He held various command and staff positions, including the commander of the engineer-sapper platoon, the commander of the engineer-sapper battalion, the deputy commander responsible for armament, the chief of the engineering service, etc. 

From 2020 to 2024, he was the Chief of Engineering Troops and Head of the Engineering Troops Command of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

Since March 2024, he was the Commander of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

On April 26, 2024, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine, Brigadier General Oleksandr Yakovets was appointed the head of the Administration of the State Transport Special Service.