Chechen Leader Claims Elon Musk Disabled His Armed Cybertruck Remotely

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, publicly accused Elon Musk on Thursday of disabling a Tesla Cybertruck that he claimed to have received from the billionaire last month.

Kadyrov, who has held power in Chechnya with an iron grip for over 17 years, previously posted a video in August of himself driving the electric vehicle, which featured what appeared to be a machine gun mounted on its roof.

In a post on Telegram, Kadyrov praised the vehicle’s “maneuverability” and its protective features for its crew.

The Chechen leader asserted that Musk had gifted him the vehicle, a claim that Musk refuted on the social media platform X, calling it false.

In his earlier post, Kadyrov had baited Musk, expressing eagerness for the tech billionaire’s future products while showcasing his distinctive vehicle armed with a weapon.

“Recently, Musk remotely disabled the Cybertruck,” Kadyrov stated in his Telegram message.

He continued, “That’s not a nice thing for Elon Musk to do. He sends expensive gifts from the bottom of his heart and then switches them off remotely.”

Kadyrov added, “That’s not very manly. We had to tow the iron horse. How could you do that, Elon?”

The Cybertruck, an electric pick-up vehicle, was first unveiled by Tesla in 2019 and officially went into production last year.

In his social media post, Kadyrov claimed that the vehicle he received had been involved in combat and sent to Ukraine, where it “performed admirably.”

A former rebel warlord’s son, Kadyrov is now a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin, often referring to himself as the president’s “footsoldier.”

The 47-year-old leader has asserted that he has deployed thousands of Chechen troops to assist the Kremlin with its military operations in Ukraine.

Elon Musk has been deeply interconnected in the conflict over Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

Through his company SpaceX, Musk’s Starlink satellites have provided critical internet and communication services to Ukraine, helping to maintain connectivity after the country’s infrastructure was severely damaged during the conflict.

This support has played a significant role in bolstering Ukraine’s war efforts against Russian forces.

As this situation evolves, the interactions between Kadyrov and Musk highlight the complexities and unexpected ties between tech leaders and political figures involved in international conflicts.