Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, posted a video on Saturday showcasing himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a mounted gun and expressing admiration for the carmaker’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk.
Kadyrov, who has governed Chechnya with a tight grip for over 17 years, is a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and claims to have sent thousands of troops to assist the Kremlin in its military campaign in Ukraine.
The 47-year-old Chechen leader was seen at the wheel of the truck as he drove through Grozny, the regional capital, in a video shared on his Telegram channel. The vehicle appeared to have a machine gun mounted on its roof.
“I extend my sincere thanks to Elon Musk. He is undoubtedly the greatest genius of our time and a specialist—a truly great man,” Kadyrov stated in the post accompanying the video, also inviting Musk to visit him in Russia.
“Given its outstanding features, the Cybertruck will soon be deployed to the area of the special military operation, where it will be well-suited to the conditions,” he added, referring to the Kremlin’s term for its military actions in Ukraine.
The Cybertruck, an electric pickup truck, was first unveiled by Tesla in 2019 and entered production last year.
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