Moldy bread for soldiers on the front line: truth or manipulation?

A video circulating on social media depicts an unidentified man complaining about mouldy bread being provided to the military. But as we explain the details, it becomes apparent that this story looks more like a provocation aimed at demoralizing the Ukrainian population.

Readers asked us to check the video dubbed “How in the heck can that be?” The video captures an unidentified man tossing numerous slices of bread, still packaged in cellophane, out of a bag, demonstrating their apparent mouldy state. 

Throughout the clip, he repeatedly says, “Look what they provided,” alongside the phrase, “When we are at war.” These remarks have sparked a flurry of emotions in the comments section, with viewers denouncing the quality of provisions for our soldiers on the front lines. The video has garnered tens of thousands of views, accompanied by almost 2,000 comments, over 16,000 likes, and nearly as many reposts. 

The original source of the video, a Facebook page named “Everything will be Ukraine,” might initially appear to be a patriotic group. Yet, this platform is inundated with low-quality content. In just one day, we counted up to a hundred videos primarily sourced from TikTok on this media. Although it presents relevant “lightweight” topics such as humour, daily life in wartime, and the everyday lives of Ukrainian refugees in other countries, it also touches upon weightier issues like corruption and mobilization, pseudo-experts’ reflections on the current situation in the country, etc. 

These videos don’t explicitly repeat the (pro)russian position, but they inadvertently serve russian propaganda. 

The dissemination of the video from the “Everything will be Ukraine” group across similar “patriotic” platforms only worsens the situation. These communities, characterized by emotionally charged and clickbait content, tend to attract a specific audience — patriotic persons driven more by emotions than by facts. Consequently, they are easy to manipulate; they readily propagate unverified information, initiating rumours and inciting panic. At the same time, they are sincerely convinced that they’re helping out and spreading the “truth that’s being hidden”. 

In the case of the mouldy bread, viewers swiftly jumped to the conclusion that the individual in the video was a soldier, yet no evidence to support this assumption was provided. The “main protagonist” doesn’t show his face, and the setting of the incident is ambiguous; he is standing near a building with a pink foundation and paving slabs are visible beneath his feet. Notably, the man is wearing rubber flip-flops, carrying a blue shopping bag, and there are no military insignias visible anywhere (shoes, chevrons, patches).

Usually, bread remains fresh for about a week when stored in a bread box without cellophane. Given that the video appeared on April 6, while the bread was produced on March 28, 2024, it’s logical to conclude that the warm weather and extended duration in the bag accelerated its spoilage. 

1) Firstly, it’s about generating hype — the provocation has garnered thousands of views and reposts. 

2) Secondly, the video is focused on demoralizing the Ukrainian population. It aims to foster internal discontent and undermine trust in the armed forces. 

Some viewers raised doubts about the video’s authenticity and made some valid arguments, but they were accused of indifference to the military and aiding hostile propaganda spread by other members of the community