Does Bonduelle send canned goods to Russian soldiers and even wish them a "quick victory"? Pictures that suggest this circulate first on the Russian network VKontakte and then also in Western media. Everything fake, the food company defends itself.
French vegetable canner Bonduelle has denied reports that it supplies the Russian army. Photos on the Russian online network VKontakte showing soldiers with canned Bonduelle and a greeting card with New Year's wishes for a "quick victory" in Ukraine are fake, the company said. "We don't distribute packages to soldiers."
The group, on the other hand, confirmed its participation in the "baskets of goodwill" campaign. The campaign, organized by the Russian food bank, aims to collect products for the needy and "is not affiliated with the army," stressed a spokeswoman for Bonduelle.
After the photos, which Bonduelle said were fake, appeared on the Internet, there was a wave of calls for a boycott of the French company. A post by the city of Jarzewo on VKontakte, which has since been deleted, said Bonduelle had sent 10,000 packages to Russian soldiers.
Bonduelle is one of the few French companies to have continued operations in Russia after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. "The Bonduelle Group continues its activities in Russia with the sole purpose of ensuring access to food for the population of Russia and neighboring countries," the company explained.
