Many French companies decided to stop their activities in Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine.
This is not the case for Bonduelle, which has been embroiled in controversy since the weekend.
The group has formally denied having distributed food parcels to Russian soldiers accompanied by a message to wish them a "quick victory" in Ukraine, citing a "fake" on social networks.
On Twitter, Internet users called this weekend for a boycott of the products of the canned and frozen vegetable specialist, after the broadcast on the main Russian social network VKontakte of two photos showing packages bearing the Bonduelle logo.
These images show a person in uniform holding a box of branded cans, along with a greeting card and this message in Russian: “Dear soldier, happy new year!
We wish you the best and a quick victory!
".
“We do not distribute packages to soldiers”, assures the French group this Monday, evoking “a fake”.
The telnyashka is a part of the Russian army uniform.
A blue and white striped jersey.
pic.twitter.com/CQlxWfbBcm
— Stephane Kenech (@stephanekenech) December 31, 2022
As of Saturday, the group had assured in a press release that "this information as well as the statements attributed to the Bonduelle company and its management (were) totally false".
On the other hand, the group confirmed its participation in the “baskets of benevolence” operation.
Organized by the Russian food bank, it aims to collect products for the poorest and "has no connection with the army", according to a spokeswoman for Bonduelle.
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A post on the VKontakte account in the Russian city of Yartsevo, which has since been deleted, claimed that 10,000 packages had been sent to the soldiers.
Bonduelle also denies the remarks attributed in this publication to its general manager in Russia, Ekaterina Eliseeva, who would have also expressed her wish for a “quick victory” in Ukraine.
Based on an article in the Russian edition of Forbes, some Internet users accuse her of having links with the FSB, the Russian security services with which, according to the magazine, she had trained as a translator in the years 1990.
Bonduelle is one of the few French companies that continued their activities in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, such as Leroy Merlin and Auchan (Mulliez), or even Lactalis.
"The Bonduelle group is continuing its activities in Russia with the sole objective of ensuring access to food for the population in Russia and neighboring countries", he reaffirmed on Saturday.
He had, however, announced in March the suspension of “any investment project” in this country.
The French group generates 5% of its annual turnover (150 million euros) in Russia, where it has three factories and employs 1,000 people, as well as in neighboring countries such as Georgia and Armenia.