The call for a boycott obviously caused the specialist in canned and frozen vegetables to react.

The French group Bonduelle denied to AFP on Monday 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 group's products, 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 the message in Russian: “Dear soldier, happy new year!

We wish you the best and a quick victory!

".

A post on the account of the Russian city of Yartsevo, since deleted, claimed that 10,000 parcels had been sent to the soldiers.

Baskets for the less fortunate

From Saturday Bonduelle 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.

The vegetable also denies the comments attributed in this publication to its general manager in Russia, Ekaterina Eliseeva, who would also have expressed her wish for a “quick victory” in Ukraine.

Based on an article in the Russian edition of

Forbes

, some Internet users accuse him of having links with the FSB, the Russian security services with which, according to the magazine.

Activities maintained in Russia

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.

However, he had announced in March the suspension of “any investment project” in this country.

The French group achieves 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.

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