Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm autos from Ukraine — to search out 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 -- as a result of it had been locked remotely.
Over the previous few weeks there's been a rising number of reviews of Russian troops stealing farm gear, grain and even constructing supplies - past widespread looting of residences. But the removing of priceless agricultural equipment from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one that even makes use of Russian navy transport as a part of the heist.CNN has discovered 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 worth $300,000 every.
CNN shouldn't be naming a contact in Melitopol acquainted with the main points of the case for their very own safety.
The contact said the method started with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the subsequent few weeks, the whole lot else was eliminated: in all 27 pieces of farm equipment. One of the flat-bed vehicles used, and caught on digital camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and seemed to be a army truck.
The contact stated there were rival groups of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and a few in the evening.
Some of the equipment was taken to a close-by village, but a few of it launched into an extended overland journey to Chechnya more than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, which are geared up with GPS, meant that its travel might be tracked. It was final tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The equipment ferried to Chechnya, which included combine harvesters -- will also be controlled remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they might not even turn them on, because the harvesters have been locked remotely," the contact stated.
The gear now seems to be languishing at a farm near Grozny. But the contact said that "plainly the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are trying to bypass the protection."
"Even when they sell harvesters for spare parts, they'll earn some money," the contact said.
Different sources in the Melitopol area say theft by Russian army items has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces a whole bunch of thousands of tonnes of crops a 12 months.
One supply instructed CNN that "the occupiers are providing local farmers to share their profits 50% to 50%." However the farmers making an attempt to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to maneuver 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 supply 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 vans leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"We now have clear evidence that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol metropolis elevator. They robbed the elevator together with personal farms," the mayor told CNN.