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British paratrooper was killed by explosion while testing Ukrainian defence kit, inquest rules

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026 · last updated 3 October 2026.

Lance Corporal George Hooley, whose death marked the first public acknowledgement that British paratroopers had been operating in Ukraine, died three days after the explosion.
Lance Corporal George Hooley, whose death marked the first public acknowledgement that British paratroopers had been operating in Ukraine, died three days after the explosion.

Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, of Wallingford in Oxfordshire, was the first British service member to lose his life in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The Parachute Regiment soldier suffered multiple injuries on 6 December 2025 when an explosion occurred as Ukrainian forces were testing a new defensive capability at a location away from the front line; he died in a Kyiv hospital three days later.

The inquest was heard partly in secret, with coroner Darren Salter ruling Hooley's death was 'not suspicious' even though he had only 'limited evidence' about what caused the explosion.

The site of the blast has not been disclosed, and the MoD has declined to address outstanding questions about what happened.

Hooley's company commander in the Parachute Regiment described him as 'a born soldier' who had 'a rare gift: a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone.'

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