Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has urged US entrepreneur Elon Musk to ignore people who accuse him of assisting Russia in the conflict with Ukraine. Previously, the Tesla CEO ridiculed claims that he had given a Cybertruck to Kadyrov as a gift.
The rumor was planted by Kadyrov himself on Saturday, when he released a video in which he drove around the Chechen capital, Grozny in a Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun. Kadyrov claimed the car was a gift from Musk and that it would be used by Russian troops fighting on the front line in the Ukraine conflict.
US political pundit and author Seth Abramson, who is best known for his research into supposed links between former President Donald Trump and the Russian government, reacted by claiming that Musk is “working openly against the US” by providing Tesla products “to sanctioned enemies of America.” Musk responded that only a “retarded” person could believe this.
Kadyrov weighed in on Monday, posting a screenshot of the exchange between Abramson and Musk on X (formerly Twitter) and giving the billionaire some advice.
”Elon, pay no heed to the backward and ignorant people and the corrupt media. The distraction is not worth it, trust me,” he said. “Better, keep creating and reaching new heights. Your products help us a lot. Regardless, you are a good fellow!”
Kadyrov thanked Musk for his Starlink satellite internet system, saying it shows “fiery communication speed” in the war zone and that Chechen fighters there have great respect for him because of this.
Starlink has become a crucial element of Ukrainian military logistics in the conflict with Russia, though it reportedly had geographic limitations that prevented Kiev from using the system outside of certain territories. Musk said this prevented Kiev from using it to launch long-range drone strikes on Russian targets.
Starlink stated in February that it “is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country.”
The ‘geofence’ has apparently been readjusted since then, as Ukrainian troops currently taking part in the incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region are using Starlink terminals, as reported by the Washington Post last Saturday.