Kadyrov Drives Cybertruck Equipped with Machine Gun
"Musk Gave It as a Gift, Will Soon Roam the Battlefield"
Cybertruck Acquisition Route Unconfirmed
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has completely denied claims that he gifted a Cybertruck to Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic in Russia.
On the 18th (local time), Musk tweeted on X, "Are you really so stupid as to think I donated a Cybertruck to a Russian warlord? Amazing," adding, "Another example showing how much traditional media lies."
The journalist who made the claim had previously retweeted a video post of Kadyrov showing off the Cybertruck on X, asserting that "Musk is providing military vehicles to America's enemies."
On the 17th, Kadyrov posted a video on his Telegram riding a Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun, driving around Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. He wrote on Telegram, "I received a Tesla Cybertruck from the honorable Elon Musk. After personally testing the new equipment, I understand why it is called the 'Cyber Beast,'" adding, "This 'beast' will soon be sent to the special military operation zone and will bring many combat advantages."
The route through which Kadyrov obtained the Cybertruck remains unknown. Tesla currently does not officially supply its products to Russia. However, through this video, dpa news agency pointed out that the Russian elite can acquire Tesla's luxury electric vehicles despite Western sanctions.
Since Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine, the West has imposed various economic sanctions on Russia. Kadyrov is also included in the sanctions lists of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU).
Meanwhile, on the same day, Tesla's stock price on the New York Stock Exchange closed at $222.86, up 3.12% from the previous session. However, it has fallen about 10% since the beginning of this year.
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