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Not content material with stealing Ukrainian grain, Russian troopers additionally reportedly looted practically $5 million (€4.72 million) value of agricultural machines from their neighbor and foe.
Citing an unnamed supply within the occupied Ukrainian metropolis of Melitopol, CNN stated this week that Russian troops stole a big assortment of high-end agricultural equipment from a neighborhood vendor and transported it 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) away to Chechnya.
What was stolen and the place was it taken?
CNN stated a complete of 27 agricultural autos have been taken, together with a number of mix harvesters, which alone are value $300,000 every.
The tools was stolen from a John Deere vendor in Melitopol.
John Deere is the world’s largest producer of agricultural equipment, together with tractors, mix harvesters, balers, planters/seeders, silage machines and sprayers.
One of many flatbed trailers used to move the looted autos had a white “Z” painted on it and gave the impression to be a Russian navy automobile, the contact instructed the US broadcaster.
The letter “Z” has turn into an emblem of the conflict because it was displayed on Russian autos massed on the border with Ukraine within the lead-up to theinvasion on February 24.
A number of different studies have emerged of farm tools and crops being stolen by Russian troopers in the course of the battle in Ukraine, whereas Russia can be holding up Ukrainian grain exports.
Over the previous two months, Agrotek-Make investments, a Ukrainian farm machine vendor, has posted a number of occasions on Fb detailing the theft of apparatus, together with John Deere harvesters and equipment made by the Swedish agency Vaderstad.
Vaderstad commented on the posts, saying the machines had been remotely locked to cease them from working.
As the machines have been outfitted with GPS and geofencing (a digital perimeter), their journey might be tracked to the Chechen capital, Grozny, and a close-by village.
What occurred when the thieves tried to make use of the autos?
In line with CNN, when the thieves tried to begin up the stolen mix harvesters, they did not work.
The equipment is fitted with anti-theft units, which had been remotely activated.
For now, the autos have been rendered ineffective however may nonetheless be bought for spare elements.
Some consultants imagine the software program on the equipment may nonetheless be hacked, permitting them for use once more.
How large is the issue of farm equipment theft?
The theft of farm equipment is a daily prevalence globally, inflicting large private and monetary losses for farmers and the insurance coverage sector.
Insurance coverage companies suggest the usage of GPS monitoring expertise, whereas many producers now have software program that disables autos if they’re stolen.
Farm equipment is surprisingly excessive tech and producers have for many years utilized GPS to assist farmers to steer their autos round large crop fields.
John Deere additionally boasts absolutely autonomous equipment the place the farmer is now not required within the subject, besides to refuel the automobile each few hours.
What is the controversy surrounding John Deere’s farm autos?
John Deere is on the heart of the so-called right-to-repair debate affecting expertise companies that use proprietary software program.
The agency’s license overlaying the software program on its farm autos doesn’t enable customers or impartial mechanics to change the instruments.
The farm equipment producer is dealing with a number of lawsuits over the problem, amid accusations that it has established a monopoly within the restore of its high-end autos.
Some argue that the autos may be disabled for any purpose.
Many software program creators insist that the restrictions are wanted to make sure their platforms should not compromised by hackers and that customers’ information just isn’t compromised.
In the meantime, some US farmers have been recognized to make use of pirated Ukrainian variations of John Deere software program to bypass restrictions on restore.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
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