British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules

A British paratrooper, L/Cpl George Hooley, was killed by an explosion while aiding Ukrainian forces during Russia's invasion, a coroner has concluded. The inquest, held in part behind closed doors, revealed Hooley sustained multiple injuries from the blast on December 6, 2025, and passed away three days later in a Kyiv hospital.

This marks the first British service member to lose their life in Ukraine since the invasion began in February 2022. Despite limited information on the explosion's cause and location, the coroner ruled the death as not suspicious. Hooley, 28, was transferred from another hospital in Ukraine before succumbing to his injuries. The Ministry of Defence described Hooley as an "exceptional soldier" with extensive experience, though they declined to comment further on the incident.

Hooley's company commander praised him as a "born soldier" with a kind heart. The UK government has not disclosed the exact number of British personnel in Ukraine, but acknowledges a small contingent there to support the Ukrainian military and protect diplomatic staff. The conflict continues with the front line largely unchanged, and Russia now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including a significant portion of Donetsk.

Peace talks aimed at ending the war have also stalled, with Kyiv and its European allies accusing President Vladimir Putin of consistently rejecting trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the US, and Ukraine.