British Paratrooper Killed by Explosion in Ukraine, Coroner Rules
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A British paratrooper, L/Cpl George Hooley, was killed by an explosion while assisting Ukrainian troops in the war with Russia, a coroner has ruled.
Inquest Findings
An inquest conducted partly in secret this week found that L/Cpl Hooley had "sustained multiple injuries from an explosion" on 6 December 2025. He died from his injuries in a Kyiv hospital 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, stated that he had received limited evidence about the circumstances and cause of the explosion but confirmed that Hooley's death was "not suspicious."
The location of the blast remains unknown, other than that it occurred away from the front line. The coroner's report noted that Hooley had been transferred from at least one other hospital in Ukraine before his death in Kyiv.
Tributes and Background
In a statement in December, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) described Hooley as "an exceptional soldier and an impressive junior leader with extensive operational experience." They characterized his death as a "tragic accident" that occurred while he was observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability.
Hooley's company commander in the Parachute Regiment praised him as "a born soldier" who possessed "a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone."
Hooley, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, joined the regiment in June 2016 after completing his training at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick.
The UK government has not disclosed the number of service personnel in Ukraine, though it has acknowledged their presence to support Ukrainian armed forces and provide security for diplomatic personnel.
After almost five years of war, the front line in Ukraine remains largely stagnant with both sides unable to make significant gains. Currently, Russia controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including a large area of Donetsk. Peace negotiations to end the conflict have also stalled.