Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya and an ally of Putin, showcased a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a mounted machine gun in a video, claiming he received it as a gift from Elon Musk.
Kadyrov praised the Cybertruck as one of the best cars in the world, dubbed it the "Cyberbeast," and suggested sending it to the conflict zone in Ukraine for use by his fighters.
Kadyrov invited Musk to visit Chechnya and Russia. He praised the Cybertruck's speed, power, and comfort, suggesting Musk would be pleased with its performance.
Ramzan Kadyrov in the Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a mounted machine gun
(צילום: רויטרס)
The origins of this particular Cybertruck remain uncertain, and its presence in Chechnya adds to the mystery.
The Sun reported Kadyrov is seriously ill with pancreatic necrosis and has no hope of recovery.
Kadyrov also made cryptic comments about waiting for more products from Musk to assist Russia in their "special military operation."
Musk's Starlink satellite internet system has been used by both Ukrainian and Russian militaries, although Musk has previously stated that he did not want his Starlink system used in wars.
Musk and his companies, SpaceX and Tesla, have faced scrutiny over their technologies being used in the Ukraine war, with SpaceX investigated for allegations of Russian forces using Starlink terminals, which are crucial for Ukrainian military operations. Musk stated that SpaceX is combating Russian jamming efforts in Ukraine.
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Ramzan Kadyrov in the Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a mounted machine gun
( Photo: Handout / TELEGRAM / @RKADYROV_95 / AFP) / XGTY / RESTRICTED)
The Cybertruck is an electric pick-up truck introduced by Tesla in 2019. Its rollout faced challenges and recalls despite promises made by Elon Musk.
Users have called for Tesla to remotely deactivate the vehicle.
Tesla has not commented on the matter.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Independent, Business Insider, New York Post, South China Morning Post, Barron's, The Sun, Yahoo Nachrichten, Daily Caller, Al Arabiya, Kyiv Post, Inshorts, Berita Satu, L'Indépendant, WION, Kyiv Independent, SAPO, Head Topics, TF1 Info.