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A British paratrooper was killed by an explosion while assisting Ukrainian troops in the war with Russia, a coroner has ruled.
An inquest, held partly in secret this week, into the death of L/Cpl George Hooley found that he “sustained multiple injuries from an explosion” on December 6, 2025.
Hooley, 28, died of his injuries three days later in a hospital in Kiev – 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, except 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 Defense (MoD) said Hooley was “an outstanding 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 testing a new defensive capability”.
The MoD did not comment when further questions were asked about the circumstances of the incident.
Hooley’s commanding officer 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 Center Catterick in North Yorkshire.
The UK government has never disclosed the number of service people in Ukraine, but has previously acknowledged that a small number are there to support the Ukrainian army and provide security for diplomatic staff.
After nearly five years of war, the frontline in Ukraine remains largely stagnant with neither side making significant gains.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including a large area of Donetsk.
Peace negotiations to end the war have also stalled. Kiev and its European allies repeatedly accuse President Vladimir Putin of rejecting plans for trilateral talks with Russia, the United States and Ukraine, saying he is trying to seize more Ukrainian territory.
