Dmytro Kaplunov was born on December 4, 1980 in the city of Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan).

In 2002, he graduated from the National Academy of State Border Guard of Ukraine named after Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.

Dmytro devoted more than 20 years of his life to military service: from 2002 to 2004 he served in the border service and from 2004 in the SSU.

He served in the SSU special unit "A", from the first days of military aggression against Ukraine performed combat missions in the ATO/JFO area.

During the battle on December 1, 2019, in the so-called grey area, he and his comrade-in-arms Denys Volochaiev were mortally wounded. For almost a week, the pro-Russian invaders did not give Dmytro's body to his family. In the end, Ukrainian authorities managed to return the dead hero home.

Awards:

• Medal “Defender of the Motherland” 
• The award of the President of Ukraine "For participation in the Anti-terrorist operation"
• Order "For Courage" of III degree

For his heroism and personal courage, Colonel Dmytro Kaplunov was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star (posthumously) by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 877/2019 of December 3, 2019.