British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules

A British paratrooper was killed by an explosion while assisting Ukrainian forces, a coroner has ruled. L/Cpl George Hooley, 28, of the Parachute Regiment, sustained aggregate injuries from an explosion on 6 December 2025 and died three days later in a Kyiv hospital. The coroner’s inquest, conducted partly in secret this week, found that Hooley’s death was not suspicious. Senior coroner for Oxfordshire, Darren Salter, said he had been given limited evidence about the circumstances and origin of the blast, but concluded there was nothing suspicious about the Hooley’s demise. Salter added that the exact cause of the explosion 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 medical facility in Ukraine before his death in the capital. He is believed to be the first British service member to die in Ukraine since Russia’s full‑scale invasion began in February 2022. In a statement issued in December, the Ministry of Defence described Hooley as “an exceptional worker and an awesome inferior person with extended operational experience.” The MoD characterised his death as a “tragic accident” that occurred while he was “observing Ukrainian forces trial a caller antiaircraft capability.” The department declined to answer further questions about the incident. Hooley’s commanding officer in the Parachute Regiment recalled him as “a calved soldier” who “had a uncommon gift: a heavy kindness and genuine clip for everyone.” Hooley, who hailed from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, enlisted in June 2016 after completing training at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick in North Yorkshire. The UK government has not disclosed the total number of British personnel operating in Ukraine, though it has previously acknowledged a small contingent is present to support Ukrainian armed forces and provide information to diplomatic staff. After roughly five years of conflict, the front line in Ukraine remains largely static, with neither side achieving significant breakthroughs. Russia currently occupies about 20 % of Ukrainian territory, including a substantial portion of Donetsk. Peace talks to end the war have stalled; Kyiv and its European allies accuse President Vladimir Putin of repeatedly rejecting proposals for trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine, and claim he is seeking to seize additional Ukrainian land.