Russia urges UK to disclose what soldier killed in Ukraine was doing, accuses London of wider role
Reuters
Thu, December 11, 2025 at 2:06 PM UTC
1 min read
MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Britain needed to disclose what a British soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was really doing there, accusing London of helping Kyiv carry out "acts of terrorism".
Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that the soldier, Lance Corporal George Hooley, died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability away from the frontline.
Britain, as a leading nation in the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing,' has repeatedly said it backs sending a multinational force into Ukraine after a ceasefire or peace deal is agreed, a potential deployment Russia has warned against.
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"London must honestly admit what their very own Hooley was doing there. It seems that perhaps someone there in Britain began to carefully prepare public opinion in their country for military losses in Ukraine that would be impossible to simply hide and continue to conceal," said Zakharova.
She said that the British government should not deceive its citizens by claiming that British soldiers sent to Ukraine were mere advisers or instructors, accusing British forces of helping Kyiv "carry out terrorist attacks and extremist tasks" on London's direct orders.
Zakharova, who said Russia would regard any foreign military contingents in Ukraine as legitimate targets, did not set out evidence to back up her accusations of alleged wider UK involvement.
The British government, one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters, has never confirmed how many service personnel are in Ukraine but the BBC has reported that a small contingent is supporting Ukrainian forces and is providing security to diplomatic staff.
(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovEditing by Andrew Osborn)