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Wallingford Soldier Died From Injuries After Ukraine Explosion, Inquest Hears
The coroner said he had limited evidence but ruled the death not suspicious after Hooley died from multiple injuries in an explosion.
Oxfordshire senior coroner Darren Salter ruled on Tuesday that Lance Corporal George Hooley's death was "not suspicious" following an inquest into the explosion that killed the 28-year-old British paratrooper in Ukraine last December.
Hooley sustained multiple injuries from an explosion on December 6, 2025, while observing Ukrainian Forces test a new defensive capability away from the front line, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
After receiving emergency treatment at the scene, the soldier died in a Kyiv hospital three days later; the inquest was conducted partly in secret, according to the coroner.
Colleagues in the Parachute Regiment described the high-achieving soldier as "a born soldier" with "a rare gift: a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone." Former defence secretary John Healey said he "served our country with distinction."
Repatriated to RAF Brize Norton in December 2025, Hooley remains the first British service member confirmed to have died in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.