Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm automobiles from Ukraine — to seek out they’ve been remotely disabled
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However after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to make use of any of the tools -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a growing variety of reports of Russian troops stealing farm gear, grain and even building materials - beyond widespread looting of residences. But the elimination of valuable agricultural tools from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one which even uses Russian navy transport as part of the heist.CNN has learned that the equipment 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 combine harvesters alone are value $300,000 every.
CNN is just not naming a contact in Melitopol conversant in the small print of the case for their very own security.
The contact stated the method started with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the next few weeks, all the things else was eliminated: in all 27 items of farm machinery. One of the flat-bed trucks used, and caught on camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and seemed to be a army truck.
The contact stated there have been rival groups of Russian troops: some would come in the morning and some in the night.
Among the equipment was taken to a nearby village, however some of it embarked on a long overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, which are outfitted with GPS, meant that its journey could possibly be tracked. It was last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The tools ferried to Chechnya, which included mix 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, as a result of the harvesters have been locked remotely," the contact said.
The gear now seems to be languishing at a farm near Grozny. But the contact said that "plainly the hijackers have found consultants in Russia who're attempting to bypass the protection."
"Even if they promote harvesters for spare components, they'll earn some cash," the contact stated.
Other sources in the Melitopol area say theft by Russian navy models has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces hundreds of hundreds of tonnes of crops a yr.
One supply advised CNN that "the occupiers are offering local farmers to share their income 50% to 50%." However the farmers trying to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to move their produce.
"Not a single elevator works. Not one of the ports are working. You will not take this grain from the occupied territory anyplace. "
So Russian forces are merely taking the grain, the source said. "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.
"Now we have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol metropolis elevator. They robbed the elevator together with private farms," the mayor told CNN.