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 greater than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to make use of any of the tools -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a rising variety of reviews of Russian troops stealing farm gear, grain and even constructing supplies - past widespread looting of residences. However the elimination of helpful agricultural equipment 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 discovered that the equipment was removed from an Agrotek dealership in Melitopol, which has been occupied by Russian forces since early March. Altogether it is valued at practically $5 million. The mix harvesters alone are value $300,000 every.
CNN will not be naming a contact in Melitopol familiar with the details of the case for their own safety.
The contact said the method started with the seizure of two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the next few weeks, the whole lot else was removed: in all 27 items of farm machinery. One of many flat-bed vans used, and caught on digital camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and appeared to be a army truck.
The contact mentioned there were rival teams of Russian troops: some would come in the morning and a few within the evening.
A few of the machinery was taken to a close-by village, but some of it embarked on a protracted overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the equipment, that are equipped with GPS, meant that its journey might be tracked. It was final tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The tools ferried to Chechnya, which included mix harvesters -- can also be managed remotely. "When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they may not even flip them on, because the harvesters have been locked remotely," the contact stated.
The tools now appears to be languishing at a farm close to Grozny. But the contact mentioned that "evidently the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who are making an attempt to bypass the safety."
"Even if they sell harvesters for spare elements, they'll earn some cash," the contact mentioned.
Different sources within the Melitopol area say theft by Russian army items has extended to grain held in silos, in a area that produces a whole lot of 1000's of tonnes of crops a yr.
One supply told CNN that "the occupiers are offering native farmers to share their income 50% to 50%." However the farmers making an attempt to work in areas occupied by Russian troops are unable to move their produce.
"Not a single elevator works. Not one of the ports are working. You will not take this grain from the occupied territory wherever. "
So Russian forces are merely 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 showing a convoy of vans leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"Now we have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol metropolis elevator. They robbed the elevator along with non-public farms," the mayor told CNN.