Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm vehicles from Ukraine — to search out they’ve been remotely disabled
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However after a journey of greater than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to make use of any of the tools -- as a result of it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a rising number of reports of Russian troops stealing farm equipment, grain and even building supplies - beyond widespread looting of residences. However the elimination of beneficial agricultural gear from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one that even makes use of Russian army transport as part of the heist.CNN has realized that the equipment was removed from an Agrotek dealership in Melitopol, which has been occupied by Russian forces since early March. Altogether it is valued at nearly $5 million. The mix harvesters alone are value $300,000 every.
CNN is just not naming a contact in Melitopol aware of the details of the case for their own safety.
The contact said the process began 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 items of farm machinery. One of the flat-bed trucks used, and caught on digicam, had a white "Z" painted on it and seemed to be a military truck.
The contact said there were rival groups of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and a few in the night.
Some of the machinery was taken to a close-by village, however a few of it launched into a long overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, that are outfitted with GPS, meant that its travel could be tracked. It was last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The equipment ferried to Chechnya, which included mix harvesters -- will also be controlled remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they may not even turn them on, as a result of the harvesters were locked remotely," the contact mentioned.
The equipment now appears to be languishing at a farm close to Grozny. However the contact mentioned that "evidently the hijackers have found consultants in Russia who are making an attempt to bypass the safety."
"Even if they promote harvesters for spare elements, they will earn some cash," the contact mentioned.
Different sources in the Melitopol area say theft by Russian army models has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces lots of of hundreds of tonnes of crops a 12 months.
One supply informed CNN that "the occupiers are providing native farmers to share their profits 50% to 50%." However 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 wherever. "
So Russian forces are merely taking the grain, the supply stated. "They steal it, take it to Crimea and that is it."
Final week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video showing a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"We have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator together with non-public farms," the mayor told CNN.