a French baker travels across Ukraine to distribute his bread in the midst of war

This is his eighth mission in Ukraine. Since 2022, Loïc Nervi, a baker from Var, has been traveling through the streets of Ukraine to distribute his bread to the war-weary population.

As the Ukrainian population continues to live under constant attacks from the Russian army, any help, even moral help, is most welcome. This French bread maker is one of them. Since 2022, since the start of this large-scale war, Loïc Nervi, “baker without limits”as he calls himself, traveling around the country in a truck converted into a mobile bakery.

When franceinfo caught up with him, Loïc Nervi’s truck was set up in front of a monastery in a small village, south of Kharkiv in Ukraine. The converted truck is connected to two generators because the four ovens need to be operated. “There is a dough mixer, a place to shape on the right and then bake,” explained the baker. At the age of 42, the owner of several bakeries in Var, near Lorgues, is on his eighth mission in Ukraine.

Despite the risks, this time he will end his month-long tour in Kramatorsk, in the eastern region of the country. “I don’t think we can go any further than Kramatorsk. Kramatorsk is really maxed out considering we’ve been repaired. In Kherson, I was turned away twice. I was told ‘the problem is your truck’, it’s too visible, it’s not moving forward. When we could move forward, there were people driving at speeds between 120 and 130 km/h on a bad road. We can’t.” Here, Loïc is nicknamed Vitalik and happily admits with a laugh that he has a bit of a quirk.

“I was told that I don’t just have one grain, I have a whole silo. I have a grain silo, I have a harvester, I have everything.”

At 14.00, the distribution of 600 rolls begins. “It is liver bread” said an old woman. “May God give him health, peace and may he come again” he said. “We are very happy that you are not afraid to come to us. We are bombarded, there is often no electricity, so thank you for this delicious bread,” he said to the baker.

“Financially, I ruined myself, but fortunately, I like spending money on it”Varois said. While the baker continued to sing, Loïc Nervi, accompanied by his uncle Bruno, continued to travel across Ukraine until the end of the month, time to continue perfecting his learning of several Ukrainian songs.