Russian troops stole $5 million in farm vehicles from a John Deere dealership in the occupied city of Melitopol, Ukraine, but were unable to use any of the equipment because it had been locked remotely, CNN reports.
"When the invaders drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they could not even turn them on, because the harvesters were locked remotely," a source familiar with the incident the news outlet.
The remote access of the equipment allows for GPS tracking and some of the vehicles to be remotely operated, preventing them from being used.
The equipment is currently lying idle in the Zakhan-Yurt village of Chechnya, about 700 miles away, according to the source.
Melitopol has been under Russian occupation since early March.
Russian troops are in contact with “consultants in Russia who are trying to bypass the protection,” according to the source who spoke with CNN.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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