Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk on Sunday denied “donating” a Cybertruck to Russian leader Ramzan Kadyrov but failed to provide an explanation on how the ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin gained access to the vehicle when its production is limited to the U.S.
What Happened: “Are you seriously so r******* that you think I donated a Cybertruck to a Russian general? That’s amazing,” Musk wrote to author Seth Abramson after the latter alleged that Musk was providing vehicles ready for military use to sanctioned enemies of America.
The allegations come on the heels of Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic and a colonel general in the Russian military, sharing a video of him driving the Cybertruck.
Kadyrov shared a video of him driving a Cybertruck with a machine gun mounted on the roof on messaging app Telegram on Saturday. The leader also invited Musk to Chechnya.
“Based on such excellent characteristics, the Cybertruck will soon be sent to the SVO zone (Russia-Ukraine war zone), where it will be in demand under appropriate conditions. I am sure this "beast" will bring a lot of benefits to our soldiers,” Kadyrov said on Telegram in Russian, hinting at the use of Tesla vehicles in the country’s war against Ukraine.
He also applauded Musk as a “strongest genius” and a “great man” and welcomed him to Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya.
“Elon, thank you! Come to Grozny, I will receive you as my dearest guest! I don't think that our Russian Foreign Ministry will be against such a trip. And, of course, we are waiting for your new developments, which will contribute to the completion of the special military operation,” he added.
Why It Matters: The Cybertruck is the latest production vehicle from Musk’s Tesla. The vehicle is manufactured only at Tesla’s gigafactory in Texas and is currently sold only within the U.S. Though the company has said that it will start delivering the stainless steel truck in Canada later this year, the timeline for availability in other parts of the globe is not known.
Though Musk has denied “donating” the truck to Kadyrov, the CEO didn’t clarify how the leader might have gained access to the truck showcased in the video shared on Telegram.
Though a production vehicle, Tesla markets the truck as durable and rugged enough to go anywhere and equipped with shatter-resistant glass windows that can resist the impact of a baseball at 70 mph.
During the vehicle’s delivery event in November, Tesla even showcased a video of the vehicle undergoing bulletproof testing and being fired at with a 0.45 Caliber Tommy gun, a 9mm Glock, and a 9mm MP5-SD. The bullets are seen denting the steel but none of them penetrate the cabin.
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