Voivode Dmytro was appointed military commander of Kiev by
Prince Danylo of Galicia in 1239, charged with defending the city from the
Mongols. Following a protracted siege, the city's walls were breached and fighting commenced within the city. After
Kiev fell on December 6, 1240, Voivode Dmytro was spared by the Mongol leader
Batu Khan for the courage he showed in the defense of the city, though he had ordered the execution of the Mongol emissaries just before the siege.