The Chernivtsi scandal as a trigger

Ukraine has announced inspections of the quality of meals provided to students in grades 1–11 at all schools in the country. The initiator of the large-scale campaign was Prime Minister Serhiy Hordiienko, who stated in his Telegram channel that it was necessary to immediately sort out the organization of school meals directly on the ground. The trigger for such action was information about the poor quality of breakfasts and lunches at one of the educational institutions in Chernivtsi, where, according to reports, children were served raw vegetables for lunch. Ruslan Osypenko, head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, called the disregard for children's safety unacceptable and initiated an official investigation into the incident.

Large-scale inspections across the country

At the instruction of the head of government, the State Service of Ukraine on Food and Consumer Protection, together with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, is to carry out unscheduled inspections of the organization of meals in schools. As emphasized in the statement, the state has already allocated the necessary funding to carry out these activities. The inspections will cover not only documentation but also the actual diet that children receive. "Children's nutrition is not a place for cutting corners or a formal approach. All identified problems must be resolved without delay," Hordiienko emphasized. In addition, the Ministry of Education has been tasked with collecting feedback from schoolchildren's parents and ensuring an adequate response to incoming reports.

Regional authorities' response and hotline

Ruslan Osypenko, in turn, ordered the launch of unscheduled monitoring visits to schools in Bukovyna. He stated that the regional military administration and law enforcement agencies would react immediately to any violations identified, and that those responsible would be held accountable under the law. Residents of the Bukovyna region were called upon to report such incidents via the hotline of the Chernivtsi RMA contact center — number 0 800 33 52 56. Thus, at the regional level, a direct line has been created for the prompt collection of complaints from parents and teachers.

Context: reforms of the new school year

The announced inspections come against the backdrop of the start of the new school year, which brought a number of important changes for schoolchildren. In particular, from September 2026, all students of municipal educational institutions studying in person or in a mixed format have been granted the right to free hot meals. In addition to reforming the school lunch system, the new school year was marked by the updating of educational standards, the simplification of the grading system for students in grades 5–9, and the introduction of new educational programs for high school students. Under these conditions, the issue of the quality and safety of meals takes on particular importance, since the state is in fact assuming direct responsibility for providing a free hot meal.

Contradictory data

At the same time, there is a slight discrepancy in the publications of different sources in describing exactly what was served to children for lunch at the Chernivtsi educational institution. The accompanying information to the materials of the Chernivtsi RMA uses the general wording "raw vegetables for schoolchildren's lunch." At the same time, the RBC-Ukraine publication's headline refers to "raw carrots," while the Inforesist source describes the diet as "raw carrots and bread." Thus, the exact composition of the dish varies across versions from general "raw vegetables" to specific carrots with bread. The key facts themselves — the fact of the scandal, the prime minister's instruction to conduct inspections across the country, and the reaction of the head of the RMA — are confirmed by both sides and are beyond doubt.