Putin ally shows off a Tesla Cybertruck with a machine gun, says it could be used in Ukraine

A screenshot from a video shared by Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechnya region, on Telegram.Ramzan Kadyrov/Telegram

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechnya region, shared a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck.
The footage shows what appears to be a machine gun mounted on the top of the vehicle.
Kadyrov said the Cybertruck could be used in the war in Ukraine.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechnya region, posted a video on Saturday of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with what appeared to be a machine gun on top.

In a post on Telegram, Kadyrov praised the vehicle and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, while also suggesting that the EV would be used in the Ukraine war.

“We received a Tesla Cybertruck from the esteemed Elon Musk. I was pleased to test this new technology and personally witnessed why it’s rightfully called the ‘Cyberbeast,'” he wrote, according to a translation.

“The Cybertruck will soon be sent to the SVO zone, where it will be in demand under the appropriate conditions. I am confident that this ‘beast’ will greatly benefit our soldiers,” he added. SVO is a reference to the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular working hours.

Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of Chechnya, has long been a prolific social media user and is known for publicity stunts — he has been photographed playing soccer against the late Argentine star Diego Maradona and once had actor Hilary Swank attend his birthday party.

He is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has provided troops for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In May, Kadyrov said that 43,500 Chechen fighters had already served in Ukraine, according to Reuters.