Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, has taken a Tesla Cybertruck for a test drive and pledged to send it to the front lines, saying the electric vehicle – now equipped with a machine gun turret – “will be of great use” to the troops.
In a video posted on Telegram on Saturday, Kadyrov claimed he received the vehicle from the “esteemed Elon Musk” and decided to personally test it to see if it deserves the title ‘Cyberbeast’.
After taking it for a spin in central Grozny, the Chechen leader said he “literally fell in love” with the vehicle, calling it “undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world.” He noted its comfort, speed, maneuverability, and cross-country performance.
“A real invulnerable and fast animal… Given such excellent characteristics, the Cybertruck will soon be sent to the Ukraine conflict zone, where it will be used in appropriate conditions. I am sure this ‘beast’ will be of great use to our fighters,” he said.
“I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk!” Kadyrov continued, calling the entrepreneur one of the “greatest geniuses of our time.”
“Elon, thank you! Come to Grozny; I will welcome you as my dearest guest!” the Chechen leader said, adding that he is sure the Russian Foreign Ministry would not be against the visit.
Musk has not yet commented on Kadyrov’s claims regarding the vehicle. Although Tesla cars are not officially supplied to Russia, many are available through resellers, with prices for Cybertrucks starting at over $200,000 on various platforms.