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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been under US and EU sanctions over human rights abuses, has flaunted a luxury truck made by US automaker Tesla on his Telegram channel.
The head of the semi-autonomous Chechen Republic in the North Caucasus claimed to have received a CyberBeast from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Kadyrov is a “truly fast and unbreakable animal,” the Kremlin said in a post on Telegram, which also included a video.
In the footage, Kadyrov drives around the Chechen capital Grozny in his car equipped with a gun turret. The 47-year-old then stands next to the gun mounted on the top of the car, wearing ammunition belts on his shoulders and chest.
He joked that the Cybertruck would soon be useful in Russia's war against neighboring Ukraine. “I'm sure this 'beast' will be very useful to our fighters,” he said in the post.
Kadyrov has come under international criticism for his serious human rights abuses. Human rights activists accuse the ardent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing political opponents, torturing prisoners and abducting them.
The ruler himself fills public offices with his relatives and repeatedly and blatantly violates the laws with the tacit approval of the Kremlin.
In addition to the video of the Cybertruck, which costs more than $99,000, Kadyrov posted photos of Ukrainian war dead and prisoners of war.
Like hundreds of other members of the Russian security services, he is subject to Western sanctions.
The video also serves as a reminder to the West that Russia's rich and powerful still have access to luxury goods that are not allowed into the country due to sanctions.
In the clip, Kadyrov thanked Musk, though it was not clear whether the car was a gift or not. He also invited the tech billionaire to visit Chechnya.
“I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk! He is, of course, the most powerful genius of our time and a specialist. A great man!” Kadyrov said.
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