The Russians stole tractors worth $5 million from Ukraine, but they cannot use them: the owner remotely blocked the equipment

Russian troops in the occupied city of Melitopol stole all the equipment from an agricultural machinery dealership and shipped it to Chechnya. But they were unaware of remote blocking capabilities, reports CNN.

Photo: Shutterstock

But after driving over 1120 km, the thieves were unable to use any of the equipment because it was locked remotely.

Over the past few weeks, there have been increasing reports of Russian troops stealing agricultural equipment, grain and even building materials, in addition to mass looting of residential buildings. But the seizure of valuable farm equipment from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks of an increasingly organized operation that even uses Russian military vehicles.

The equipment was removed from the Agrotek dealership in Melitopol, which has been occupied by Russian troops since early March. In total, it is estimated at almost $5 million. The harvesters alone cost $300 each.

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According to the source, the process began with the seizure of two combines, a tractor and a seed drill. Over the next few weeks, everything else was removed: a total of 27 pieces of agricultural equipment. One of the used flatbed trucks, caught on camera, had a white "Z" painted on it, and it turned out to be a military truck.

Some of the equipment was delivered to a nearby village, and some went on a long journey overland to Chechnya. The equipment was equipped with GPS. Her movement could be tracked. He was last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya.
The equipment transported to Chechnya, including grain harvesters, can also be controlled remotely. “When the occupiers drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they couldn’t even turn them on, because the harvesters were blocked remotely,” the source said.

The equipment now seems to be languishing on a farm near Grozny. But the hijackers found consultants in Russia who are trying to bypass the protection.

“Even if they sell harvesters for spare parts, they will earn some money,” the source said.
Other sources in the Melitopol region say theft by Russian military units has extended to grain stored in elevators in a region that produces hundreds of thousands of tons of crops a year.

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One source said that "the occupiers are offering local farmers a 50%-50% share of their profits." But farmers trying to work in areas occupied by Russian troops cannot export their produce.

“Not a single elevator is working. None of the ports are working. You will not take this grain from the occupied territory anywhere.” - say sources.

So Russian forces are simply taking the grain, the source said. “They steal, take it to Crimea and that’s it,” he says.

Last week, the mayor of Melitopol posted a video showing a convoy of trucks leaving Melitopol with grain.

“We have clear evidence that they unloaded grain from the Melitopol city elevator. They robbed the elevator along with private farms,” the mayor told CNN.

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