British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules
L/Cpl George Hooley is the first UK service member to die in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules
A British paratrooper was killed by an explosion while helping Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, a coroner has ruled.
An inquest, held partly in secret this week, into the death of L/Cpl George Hooley found that he had "sustained multiple injuries from an explosion" on 6 December 2025.
Hooley, 28, died from those injuries in a hospital in Kyiv three days later, becoming 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 given "limited evidence" about the circumstances and cause of the explosion, but that Hooley's death was "not suspicious".
The exact location of the explosion is also unknown, apart from the fact that it was away from the front line.
The coroner's report said Hooley had been moved from at least one other hospital in Ukraine before he died 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 occurred while he was "observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability".
The MoD did not respond 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 revealed the number of service people in Ukraine, but has previously said 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 unchanged, with both sides failing to make significant gains.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including a large area of Donetsk.
Peace talks aimed at ending 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.