Chechen leader drives gun-mounted Tesla truck, invites Musk to Russia

The leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic has heaped praise on Tesla CEO Elon Musk and invited the billionaire to visit his region after posting a video of himself driving a gun-mounted Cybertruck.

In a video posted on his Telegram channel on Saturday, Ramzan Kadyrov could be seen taking a Cybertruck on a drive in the regional capital Grozny before standing astride a machinegun mounted on the vehicle’s roof.

“I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk. This is, of course, the strongest genius of our time and a specialist. A great man,” Kadyrov said in a post accompanying the video.

Kadyrov invited Musk to Grozny, saying he would be received as “my most dear guest”.

“I don’t think the Russian Foreign Ministry would mind such a trip,” he said.

Kadyrov, a vocal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also said he would donate the vehicle to Russian forces waging war against Ukraine.

“It’s not for nothing that they call this a cyberbeast”, Kadyrov said, describing the vehicle as “undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world.

“I’m sure that this beast will bring plenty of benefits to our troops.”

Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights abuses including torture and extrajudicial killings, said he had received the truck from Musk.

Al Jazeera could not independently confirm Kadyrov’s explanation for how he obtained the vehicle.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tesla first introduced the Cybertruck as a concept vehicle in 2019 before putting it on sale last year.

While the vehicle is currently only on sale in North America, Musk told an investors’ event earlier this year that it could be certified for other markets sometime in 2025.