Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm vehicles from Ukraine — to find they’ve been remotely disabled
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However after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to use any of the equipment -- as a result of it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a rising variety of studies of Russian troops stealing farm gear, grain and even constructing supplies - beyond widespread looting of residences. But the removing of invaluable agricultural tools from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one that even makes use of Russian military transport as a part of the heist.CNN has learned that the tools was faraway from an Agrotek dealership in Melitopol, which has been occupied by Russian forces since early March. Altogether it's valued at almost $5 million. The mix harvesters alone are price $300,000 each.
CNN is not naming a contact in Melitopol accustomed to the small print of the case for their own security.
The contact said the process started with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the following few weeks, every thing else was eliminated: in all 27 pieces of farm machinery. One of many flat-bed vehicles used, and caught on digital camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and gave the impression to be a navy truck.
The contact stated there have been rival groups of Russian troops: some would come in the morning and some within the evening.
Among the machinery was taken to a close-by village, however some of it launched into an extended overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, which are equipped with GPS, meant that its journey could be tracked. It was last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The tools ferried to Chechnya, which included combine harvesters -- can also be managed remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they may not even flip them on, because the harvesters had been locked remotely," the contact stated.
The tools now seems to be languishing at a farm close to Grozny. But the contact mentioned that "evidently the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are attempting to bypass the protection."
"Even when they promote harvesters for spare elements, they are going to earn some cash," the contact mentioned.
Other sources in the Melitopol region say theft by Russian military items has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces a whole lot of hundreds of tonnes of crops a year.
One supply told CNN that "the occupiers are offering native farmers to share their earnings 50% to 50%." But the farmers making an attempt to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to maneuver their produce.
"Not a single elevator works. Not one of the ports are working. You'll not take this grain from the occupied territory anyplace. "
So Russian forces are merely taking the grain, the source stated. "They steal it, take it to Crimea and that's it."
Last week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video showing a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"We've got clear evidence that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol metropolis elevator. They robbed the elevator together with private farms," the mayor told CNN.