From 1991, he began to fight in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Polovinko showed high heroism in the battles for Gubadly, Lachin and Aghdere. On 6 August 1992, after the receipt of information about the siege of Azerbaijani military by the Armenian forces on the Kasapet height, the crew of Mi-24 helicopter, consisting of Ruslan Polovinko, Zakir Majidov (commander) and Javanshir Rahimov rushed to help them to evacuate. After flying three sorties of attacking enemy positions and evacuating injured and fallen soldiers, they were shot down on their fourth flight, resulting in the death of all crew members.[3]
Polovinko was posthumously awarded the title of the National Hero of Azerbaijan on 14 September 1992, by the decree no. 204 of the President of Azerbaijan. He was buried in his native town of Zmiiv. Polovinko was single.
