Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm automobiles from Ukraine — to find they have been remotely disabled
Warning: Undefined variable $post_id in /home/webpages/lima-city/booktips/wordpress_de-2022-03-17-33f52d/wp-content/themes/fast-press/single.php on line 26
But after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to use any of the equipment -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a growing variety of stories of Russian troops stealing farm tools, grain and even constructing supplies - past widespread looting of residences. However the removing of useful agricultural equipment 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 learned 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 practically $5 million. The mix harvesters alone are price $300,000 each.
CNN is just not naming a contact in Melitopol acquainted with the main points 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, all the pieces else was removed: in all 27 pieces of farm equipment. One of the flat-bed vans used, and caught on digital camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and gave the impression to be a army truck.
The contact mentioned there have been rival groups of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and a few within the night.
A few of the machinery was taken to a nearby village, but some of it embarked on a long overland journey to Chechnya more than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, which are outfitted with GPS, meant that its travel could possibly be tracked. It was last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The gear ferried to Chechnya, which included combine harvesters -- may also be managed remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they could not even flip them on, as a result of the harvesters had been locked remotely," the contact mentioned.
The equipment now appears to be languishing at a farm close to Grozny. However the contact mentioned that "plainly the hijackers have found consultants in Russia who are attempting to bypass the protection."
"Even when they promote harvesters for spare components, they are going to earn some cash," the contact said.
Other sources in the Melitopol region say theft by Russian military units has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces hundreds of thousands of tonnes of crops a yr.
One source instructed CNN that "the occupiers are providing local farmers to share their earnings 50% to 50%." But the farmers trying to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to maneuver their produce.
"Not a single elevator works. None of the ports are working. You'll not take this grain from the occupied territory anyplace. "
So Russian forces are simply taking the grain, the source stated. "They steal it, take it to Crimea and that's it."
Final week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video exhibiting a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"We have now clear evidence that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator together with private farms," the mayor advised CNN.