British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules

A British paratrooper was killed by an explosion while assisting Ukrainian troops in the war with Russia, a coroner has ruled.

An inquest, conducted partly in secret this week, into L/Cpl George Hooley's death found he had "sustained multiple injuries from an explosion" on 6 December 2025.

Hooley, 28, died from his injuries in a hospital in Kyiv three days later - the first British service member to die in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, said he had been provided with "limited evidence" about the circumstances and cause of the explosion but Hooley's death was "not suspicious".

The location of the explosion is also unknown, other than that it was away from the front line.

The coroner's report said Hooley had been transferred from at least one other hospital in Ukraine before his death in the capital.

In a statement in December, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Hooley was "an exceptional soldier and an impressive junior leader with extensive operational experience".

It said his death was a "tragic accident" that happened while he was "observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability".

The MoD did not comment when asked further questions about the circumstances of the incident.

Hooley's company commander in the Parachute Regiment said the 28-year-old was "a born soldier" who "had a rare gift: a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone".

Hooley, from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, joined the regiment in June 2016 after completing his training at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick in North Yorkshire.

The UK government has never disclosed the number of service people in Ukraine, but has previously acknowledged a small number is there to support Ukrainian armed forces and provide security to diplomatic personnel.

After almost five years of war, the front line in Ukraine remains largely stagnant with both sides failing to make significant gains.

Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including a large area of Donetsk.

Peace negotiations to bring an end to the war have also stalled. Kyiv and its European allies accuse President Vladimir Putin of repeatedly rejecting plans for trilateral talks involving Russia the US and Ukraine and say he is seeking to seize more Ukrainian territory.