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.