Dmitry Onuprienko was born on 25 October 1906 in Shupyk village, Kanevsky Utezd in Kiev Governorate to a peasant family. In 1925, he graduated from seven grades and was drafted into the Red Armyin September.
Military service
Interwar
In 1928, Onuprienko graduated from the Kiev Military Infantry School. He became an assistant outpost platoon commander of the Soviet Border Troops and then chief of the 23rd Border Detachment. In 1930, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Between 1932 and 1935, he was a drill instructor in the 2nd Border Detachment. Onuprienko graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1938. In November, he became senior assistant to the chief of the 1st Division of the educational institutions of the Main Directorate of Border and Internal Troops. In March 1939, he became deputy chief of NKVD Escort Troops.
World War II
During the Winter War, Onuprienko was deputy commander of an NKVD special unit. In March, he became the NKVD's deputy chief of operations. He became the chief of staff of the Moscow Military District in June. In July, he was ordered to form the 33rd Army in the Kalinin Oblast from NKVD units and militia divisions. On 17 July, Onuprienko formed the headquarters and assumed command of the army, which was positioned on the Mozhaysk defensive line. The army suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Vyazma during October, and Onuprienko was demoted to deputy commander, being replaced by Mikhail Yefremov. Onuprienko was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 2 January 1942. He fought in the Battle of Moscow until March 1942, when he was sent to study at the Higher Academic Courses at the Higher Military Academy. After graduation from them at the end of the year, he became chief of staff of the 3rd Reserve Army on the Kalinin Front and was promoted to major general on 7 December. On 15 January 1943, he became the chief of staff of the 2nd Tank Army and fought in the Dmitriyev-Sevsk Offensive. On 28 June, he became the commander of the 6th Guards Rifle Division. He led the division during the Battle of Kursk, where it successfully defended Ponyri. For his leadership at Kursk, Onuprienko was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 14 July. Onuprienko was awarded the Order of Suvorov2nd class on 23 September 1943. During the Chernigov-Pripyat Offensive, he organized the division's crossing of the Dnieper. On 30 September, the division crossed at the villages of Teremtsy and Verkhnye Zary. The advance elements of the division crossed the river and occupied a small bridgehead. German troops reportedly did not expect the crossing to take place in that area, but soon launched counterattacks. Elements of the division reportedly repulsed all of the counterattacks and then broke through the German line in the area between the Dnieper and the Pripyat River. The division then crossed the Pripyat, captured a bridgehead at Yampil and continued to attack to the west. On 16 October, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his actions during the offensive. Onuprienko continued to lead the division during the Battle of Kiev, the Zhitomir–Berdichev Offensive and the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive. On 21 July 1944, he was awarded his third Order of the Red Banner. In August, he became commander of the 24th Rifle Corps of the 13th Army. He led the corps during the rest of the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive. On 3 November, Onuprienko was awarded the Order of the Red Star. In 1945, the corps fought in the Vistula–Oder Offensive and the Lower Silesian Offensive. On 6 April, he was awarded the Order of Kutuzov 2nd class.
