- Elon Musk emphatically denied gifting a Tesla to a Chechen leader and Russian general.
- Ramzan Kadyrov shared a video of himself driving the EV equipped with a machine gun.
- The Chechen warlord openly thanked Elon Musk for creating the electric truck.
Let’s face it—the internet is an odd place, yet nothing baffles us more than the enduring allure of misinformation. Recently, Elon Musk found himself at the center of a bizarre rumor, vehemently denying that he had gifted a Tesla Cybertruck to Ramzan Kadyrov, the notorious Chechen leader and Russian general.
The story gained traction after a video surfaced on Telegram, showing Kadyrov behind the wheel of a Cybertruck, equipped with a machine gun. In the clip, Kadyrov—a staunch Putin ally—raves about the vehicle’s capabilities, declaring it ready for deployment in Russia’s offensive against Ukraine.
Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for numerous human rights violations, claimed in the video that he had received the truck and expressed his gratitude to Elon Musk.
“We received a Tesla Cybertruck from the respected Elon Musk. I was pleased to test this new technology and personally witnessed why it’s called the ‘Cyberbeast,'” Kadyrov boasted in a translated Telegram post. “I am confident that this ‘beast’ will be of great benefit to our soldiers.”
He continued, saying, “I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk! He is undoubtedly the greatest genius of our time and a top specialist—a great man! The Cybertruck turned out to be a powerful project, undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world! I’ve truly fallen in love with this vehicle.”
Kadyrov even extended an invitation to Musk: “Elon, thank you! Come to Grozny, and I will welcome you as my most honored guest! I don’t think our Russian MFA would oppose such a visit.”
In the video, Kadyrov test-drives the electric pickup, now armed with a machine gun. As a close ally of Putin, he lauded the vehicle’s capabilities, claiming it would soon be sent to the frontlines in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Anton Gerashchenko, a self-proclaimed Ukrainian patriot, later shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that Kadyrov had received the Cybetruck directly from Elon Musk. The post gained traction, with critics of Musk, including Seth Abramson, fueling outrage against the Tesla CEO. Two days later, Musk responded, firmly denying the rumors.
Musk tweeted: “Are you seriously so ret***ed that you think I donated a Cybertruck to a Russian general? That’s amazing 🤣🤣”, adding that this is “Yet another example of how much the legacy media lies”.
Gerashchenko acknowledged Musk’s response, stating that “Kadyrov is a liar.” He went on to question how the Chechen leader managed to obtain the Tesla and why Tesla isn’t remotely disabling it due to sanctions violations. He also noted that Russian media enthusiastically spread the news about Kadyrov’s claim.
It seems that Kadyrov’s comments were likely misinterpreted, leading some to believe that Musk had personally sent the vehicle. The situation quickly spiraled into a wildfire of false claims and speculation.
As for how the Russian general obtained a Tesla Cybertruck, it could be a case of illegal importation. A few months ago, Lithuanian authorities seized two Cybertrucks suspected of attempting to enter Russian territory despite the sanctions.
According to Wikipedia, Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, nicknamed ‘Lyulya,’ serves as a Russian politician, a colonel general in the Russian military, and the current Head of the predominantly Muslim Chechen Republic. Politico describes him as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent allies in the Ukraine conflict and a combat sports enthusiast