MOSCOW: The strongman leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video on Saturday showing him driving a gun-mounted Tesla Cybertruck and praising the carmaker’s billionaire owner Elon Musk.

Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya with an iron fist for over 17 years, is a vocal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and says he has deployed thousands of troops to help the Kremlin with its Ukraine offensive.

The 47-year-old Chechen leader could be seen behind the wheel of the truck as he drove in the regional capital Grozny, a video posted on his Telegram channel showed.

A machinegun appeared to be fixed atop 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, inviting Musk to visit him in Russia.

“Based on such excellent characteristics, the Cybertruck will soon be sent to the area of the special military operation, where it will be in demand in the appropriate conditions,” he added, referring to the Kremlin’s name for its Ukraine offensive.

The Cybertruck is an electric pick-up truck that was first unveiled by US carmaker Tesla in 2019 before going into production last year.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024