A free tractor is good, but a functioning tractor is still better: that’s what the Russian vandals must have told themselves when they tried to start the agricultural equipment they stole in Ukraine. The story begins in Melitopol, an important city in the Zaporizhia oblast (region) which is currently under the control of the Russian army. On the spot, this army terrorizes the populations, extorts the farmers… and steals agricultural vehicles. The breakage takes place in a local dealership of the American John Deere, world leader in tractors.
The loot ? No less than 4.76 million euros, representing 27 tractors and other harvesters. As a good mafia, the Russian soldiers showed very good logistical sense in transporting these 27 vehicles to Chechnya more than 1,100 km away. But there, it is the drama (for them): none of the vehicles is operational. How do we know? Quite simply because the precious machines (which cost around 300,000 euros each) are all equipped with GPS chips. And that they were deactivated remotely!
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According to CNN, which reveals “the affair”, the equipment is rotting on a farm near the Chechen capital Grozny. The thieves would be mandating Russian hackers to remove the digital protections. In case of failure to restart, the thugs will still be able to make some profits: John Deere having interrupted its activities in Russia since March 9, the country will quickly need spare parts which are now prohibited.
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The “positive” side of the remote deactivation of stolen equipment should not, however, make us forget the limits of this control of vehicles by large companies like John Deere. A company increasingly singled out around the world and in its local American market for its total control over its tractors, preventing any repairs outside its official parts circuit.
Source : CNN