British paratrooper George Hooley died after explosion during Ukraine test
Lance Corporal George Hooley, a 28-year-old Parachute Regiment soldier, died after an explosion while observing Ukrainian forces test a defensive capability away from the front line. The coroner said he sustained multiple injuries on 6 December 2025 and died in hospital in Kyiv three days later; the circumstances matter because British military personnel in Ukraine had not previously been publicly known to include paratroopers.
The inquest was held in writing and partly in secret, at the family’s request, with the coroner citing sensitive information about the capability being tested. He said he had limited evidence about the explosion, found no suspicious circumstances, and received statements from Army colleagues and doctors as well as Ukrainian hospital documents. Hooley had served since 2015 and was close to promotion; the Ministry of Defence described his death as a tragic accident.
- George Hooley died after an explosion in Ukraine.
- He was observing a Ukrainian defensive capability test.
- His inquest was held partly in secret at his family’s request.
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Lance Corporal George Hooley was a 28-year-old soldier with the Parachute Regiment who died in December 2025 following an explosion during a Ukrainian military test. The test was examining a new defensive capability and took place away from the front line.
British military personnel have been supporting Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, serving in advisory and training roles. The fact that paratroopers were deployed to such work had not been publicly disclosed until the circumstances of this explosion came to light.
Hooley had served since 2015 and was close to promotion at the time of his death. His work observing Ukrainian military tests represented the type of support that British military personnel provide in Ukraine beyond direct combat roles.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Exceptional’ British paratrooper, 28, was killed by an explosion in Ukraine, coroner reveals after inquest held in secret”.