Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm vehicles from Ukraine — to seek out they have been remotely disabled
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However after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves had been unable to use any of the gear -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the previous few weeks there's been a rising variety of reports of Russian troops stealing farm equipment, grain and even building supplies - beyond widespread looting of residences. But the removing of useful agricultural gear from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one which even uses Russian military transport as part of the heist.CNN has discovered that the tools was removed 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 worth $300,000 each.
CNN just isn't naming a contact in Melitopol conversant in the main points of the case for their very own security.
The contact stated the method started with the seizure of two mix harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the subsequent few weeks, the whole lot else was eliminated: in all 27 items of farm machinery. One of the flat-bed vehicles used, and caught on digicam, had a white "Z" painted on it and appeared to be a navy truck.
The contact said there were rival teams of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and a few within the night.
Some of the equipment was taken to a close-by village, but some of it launched into a long overland journey to Chechnya more than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the equipment, that are geared up with GPS, meant that its travel could possibly be tracked. It was final tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The tools ferried to Chechnya, which included combine harvesters -- can be controlled remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they could not even flip them on, because the harvesters were locked remotely," the contact mentioned.
The gear now appears to be languishing at a farm near Grozny. But the contact stated that "plainly the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are trying to bypass the protection."
"Even when they promote harvesters for spare parts, they may earn some cash," the contact said.
Other sources within the Melitopol area say theft by Russian navy items has prolonged to grain held in silos, in a area that produces a whole bunch of 1000's of tonnes of crops a yr.
One source instructed CNN that "the occupiers are providing local farmers to share their profits 50% to 50%." But the farmers attempting to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to move their produce.
"Not a single elevator works. None 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 source mentioned. "They steal it, take it to Crimea and that's it."
Last week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video displaying a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"We now have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator together with private farms," the mayor told CNN.