Editor's note: This article was updated to include a rebuttal from Elon Musk.
Soldiers in Chechnya have outfitted a Tesla Cybertruck with a machine gun and plan to send the vehicle to fight on the front lines in Ukraine, Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov claimed in a video published Aug. 17.
Tesla's 'Cyberbeast,' a tri-motor all-wheel drive electric truck, is priced at $119,990.
Kadyrov thanked Elon Musk for sending the Cybertruck and praised him as "the strongest genius of our time."
"We received a Tesla Cybertruck from the esteemed Elon Musk," Kadyrov wrote on Telegram.
"I had the pleasure of testing the new technology and saw for myself that it is not by chance that it is called 'Cyberbeast.' ... I am sure this 'beast' will be of great use to our fighters."
In a post on X, Musk denied that he had given the truck to Kadyrov.
Kadyrov said he planned to send the vehicle to Ukraine to fight on the front lines of Russia's full-scale war. Kadyrov is a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has previously sent Chechen troops – the notoriously ruthless kadyrovtsy – to wage war in Ukraine.
Kadyrov went on to invite Musk to visit him and expressed anticipation for future military-grade innovations from the Tesla CEO.
"Come to Grozny, I'll receive you as my dearest guest! ... And, of course, we are waiting for your new developments that will contribute to the completion of (the war in Ukraine)," he said.
Musk, who currently ranks among the richest individuals in the world, has come under scrutiny for the use of his company's technologies in the war. His company SpaceX was investigated by Congress over to allegations that Russian forces were using thousands of Starlink terminals in Ukraine.
Following reports that Russia was increasingly disrupting Ukraine's own Starlink service, Musk said that SpaceX is spending "significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts." Starlink terminals are considered crucial to Ukrainian military operations.
Musk has also previously suggested that Kyiv make territorial concessions to Russia and argued against U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Tesla has not commented on Kadyrov's statements.
The U.S. and other Western allies have imposed sanctions against Kadyrov and his family over human rights abuses in Chechnya, which Kadyrov has ruled since 2007. Under his leadership, the Chechen Republic has become known as one of the most dangerous parts of the world, infamous for forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Yaroslav Azhnyuk
