Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechen region, posted a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what appears to be a machine gun mounted on top on Saturday.
In a Telegram post, Kadyrov praised the vehicle and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and suggested the EV could be used in the war against Ukraine.
“I received the Tesla Cybertruck from the esteemed Elon Musk. I am excited to test this new technology and have personally witnessed why it is aptly named the ‘Cyberbeast,'” he wrote, according to a translation.
“The Cybertruck will soon be sent to the SVO region, where it will be in high demand under the right conditions. I am sure this ‘beast’ will be of great use to our soldiers,” he added, referring to SVO as “Special Military Operations” in Ukraine.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of Chechnya, has long been a frequent user of social media and known for his propaganda tactics, including being photographed playing soccer with the late Argentine star Diego Maradona and inviting actress Hilary Swank to his birthday party.
He is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and contributed troops to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kadyrov said in May that 43,500 Chechen fighters were already serving in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
