John Deere ‘Kill Switch’ Renders Stolen Tractors Useless

John Deere has struck a blow against the Russian Army, in its war of aggression in Ukraine.

The tractor company found out Russian troops in the occupied city of Melitopol have stolen all the equipment from a farm equipment dealership, and shipped it to Chechnya, according to a Ukrainian businessman in the area.

But after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to use any of the equipment, because it had been locked remotely.

Over the past few weeks there’s been a growing number of reports of Russian troops stealing farm equipment, grain and even building materials. The thefts include the removal of valuable agricultural equipment from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol valued at nearly $5 million US.

The Russians didn’t count on the sophisticated equipment John Deere installs on its tractors and combines, however. The owners used its GPS systems to track the equipment to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya, and John Deere was able to render it inoperable.

“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,” an unnamed source told CNN.

The equipment is now stuck on a farm near Grozny, CNN reports, but their contact in the area said the thieves are trying to bypass the anti-theft protection. Failing that, they will likely sell the parts for cash.

“Even if they sell harvesters for spare parts, they will earn some money,” the contact said.

Unfortunately, little can be done to stop other types of theft from local farmers. CNN sources say Russian troops are simply stealing grain from silos. “They steal it, take it to Crimea and that’s it,” said CNN’s source.

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