Russian troops in Melitopol plunder $5M farm autos from Ukraine — to find they have been remotely disabled
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However after a journey of greater than 700 miles, the thieves have been unable to use 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 equipment, grain and even building supplies - past widespread looting of residences. However the removal of invaluable agricultural tools from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one which even makes use of Russian navy transport as part of the heist.CNN has realized that the equipment 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 mix harvesters alone are value $300,000 every.
CNN is not naming a contact in Melitopol aware of the main points of the case for their own safety.
The contact stated the method began with the seizure of two mix harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the following few weeks, everything else was eliminated: in all 27 pieces of farm machinery. One of the flat-bed vehicles used, and caught on camera, had a white "Z" painted on it and gave the impression to be a army truck.
The contact said there were rival groups of Russian troops: some would come within the morning and some within the night.
Some of the equipment was taken to a nearby village, however some of it embarked on an extended overland journey to Chechnya greater than 700 miles away. The sophistication of the machinery, which are outfitted with GPS, meant that its journey might 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 might not even turn them on, as a result of the harvesters had been locked remotely," the contact said.
The gear now appears to be languishing at a farm near Grozny. However the contact stated that "it seems that the hijackers have discovered consultants in Russia who're attempting to bypass the protection."
"Even if they promote harvesters for spare components, they are going to earn some money," the contact said.
Different sources within the Melitopol region say theft by Russian army models has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces tons of of hundreds of tonnes of crops a yr.
One source advised 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 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."
Last week the mayor of Melitopol posted a video exhibiting a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol allegedly loaded with grain.
"Now we have clear proof that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator along with personal farms," the mayor instructed CNN.