Tesla with a gun turret: Chechen leader Kadyrov's bizarre claim

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya, claims he received a Tesla with a gun turret. "We received a Tesla Cybertruck from the respected Elon Musk," he wrote on Telegram on Saturday. "I was happy to test the new technology and personally saw that it is not by chance that it is called the 'Cyberbeast,'" he continued.

Much of the information reported by Russian media or government representatives is part of propaganda efforts. These reports are elements of the ongoing information warfare conducted by the Russian Federation.

Kadyrov posted a video where he is driving the vehicle, equipped with a gun turret, around his presidential palace.

"I was happy to test the new technology and personally saw that it is not by chance that it is called the 'Cyberbeast.' A real invulnerable and fast animal," added the Chechen ally of Vladimir Putin. He also announced that the car "will soon be sent" to the battlefield in Ukraine.

"I am sure that this ‘beast’ will be of great use to our soldiers," he emphasized.

Kadyrov thanked Tesla owner Elon Musk and invited the billionaire to visit Russia. Politico contacted Tesla but did not receive a comment from the company.

Kadyrov is considered Putin's man in Chechnya. He headed the regional campaign headquarters in the Russian presidential elections in March 2004.

In May 2004, he was appointed deputy prime minister and effectively led the government in Chechnya. In February 2006, he was elected chairman of the republican branch of the United Russia party, currently the largest political party in Chechnya and Russia.

According to the international association "Memorial," torture, political murders, and human rights violations still occur in Chechnya, and the overall situation can be described as "horrific" – center workers claim that Russian federal authorities unofficially tolerate these practices.