Dmitry Onuprienko was born on 25 October 1906 in Shupyk village, in the Kanevsky Uyezd of Kiev Governorate to a peasant family of Ukrainian ethnicity.

[3] 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.

[5] 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,[6] which was positioned on the Mozhaysk defensive line.

The army suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Vyazma during October,[7] and Onuprienko was demoted to deputy commander, being replaced by Mikhail Yefremov.

[1][2][4] 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.

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.

On 16 October, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union[12] and the Order of Lenin for his actions during the offensive.

After completing the courses on 10 October 1953, he commanded the 3rd Mountain Rifle Corps of the Carpathian Military District.