Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm vehicles from Ukraine — to find they’ve 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 make use of any of the gear -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a growing variety of studies of Russian troops stealing farm tools, grain and even constructing supplies - past widespread looting of residences. But the elimination of valuable agricultural gear from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one which even uses Russian navy transport as a part of the heist.CNN has learned that the gear 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 every.
CNN is just not naming a contact in Melitopol accustomed to the main points of the case for their very own safety.
The contact stated the process began with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the next 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 gave the impression to be a navy truck.
The contact mentioned there were rival groups of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and a few in the night.
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 equipment, which are equipped with GPS, meant that its travel could be tracked. It was final tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The tools 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 might not even flip them on, because the harvesters had been locked remotely," the contact said.
The equipment now seems to be languishing at a farm close to Grozny. But the contact said that "plainly the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are making an attempt to bypass the protection."
"Even if they sell harvesters for spare elements, they may earn some money," the contact said.
Different sources within 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 12 months.
One supply told CNN that "the occupiers are offering local farmers to share their profits 50% to 50%." But the farmers trying 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 will not take this grain from the occupied territory wherever. "
So Russian forces are simply taking the grain, the source mentioned. "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've got clear evidence that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator together with non-public farms," the mayor advised CNN.