Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm vehicles from Ukraine — to search out they’ve been remotely disabled
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But after a journey of greater than 700 miles, the thieves have been 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 number of reviews of Russian troops stealing farm equipment, grain and even building materials - past widespread looting of residences. But the elimination of priceless agricultural gear from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an more and more organized operation, one which even uses Russian navy transport as a part of the heist.CNN has learned that the gear was faraway 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 combine harvesters alone are price $300,000 every.
CNN isn't naming a contact in Melitopol aware of the details of the case for their own security.
The contact said the process began with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the following few weeks, every part else was eliminated: in all 27 pieces of farm machinery. One of many flat-bed vans 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 teams of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and some within the evening.
A few of the equipment was taken to a nearby village, but some of it embarked on an extended overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, that 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 gear ferried to Chechnya, which included combine harvesters -- will also be managed remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they could not even turn them on, because the harvesters had been locked remotely," the contact said.
The tools now appears to be languishing at a farm near Grozny. But the contact mentioned that "evidently the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are trying to bypass the safety."
"Even if they sell harvesters for spare parts, they'll earn some cash," the contact said.
Other sources in the Melitopol area say theft by Russian army units has prolonged to grain held in silos, in a region that produces hundreds of thousands of tonnes of crops a yr.
One source informed CNN that "the occupiers are offering local farmers to share their earnings 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 anyplace. "
So Russian forces are simply taking the grain, the source said. "They steal it, take it to Crimea and that is it."
Last week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video showing a convoy of vehicles leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"Now we have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator together with private farms," the mayor instructed CNN.