Tesla Cybertruck: Putin’s bloodhound shows military vehicles again

The strange story of Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov and the Tesla Cybertruck is entering its third round. About a month ago, photos of the futuristic electric cars in the hands of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s confidant first appeared (read more here). Kadyrov personally thanked Elon Musk and showed that there was enough space for a machine gun on the loading area of ​​the pickup truck. In the Western world, however, the photos raised questions, as a product from a US vehicle manufacturer should not have landed in Chechnya, which is part of the Russian Federation, due to the sanctions against Russia.

Musk quickly denied the alleged disclosure. In response to a post on X accusing him of delivering a Cybertruck to Kadyrov, he replied: “Are you really so retarded that you think I gave a Russian general a Cybertruck? That’s amazing.” The Tesla boss continued: “Another example of how much the established media lies.”

Drone hunting with the Tesla Cybertruck

In the second act of the play, Kadyrov spoke up again a few days ago – and accused Elon Musk of having switched off his Cybertruck (read more here). The latest post about the Cybertruck, which the Chechen leader recently published, may therefore seem a bit strange. It shows a video of two Cybertrucks, apparently covered in foil, each with a machine gun on the loading area.

Kadyrov writes: “Two more Cybertrucks are being sent to the NWO zone. Western equipment is doing an excellent job against its own Western ukronauts. Mobility, convenience, maneuverability – these qualities of an electric vehicle are in great demand here. They have not been affected by the remote shutdown. The cars run smoothly and without breakdowns. It is impossible to imagine a better advertisement for Cybertruck. We know how they should be used.”

In the video, Chechen forces demonstrate how they shoot at drones with machine guns and successfully shoot them down. Musk and Tesla have not yet responded.

It is unlikely that the Cybertrucks will actually be used in Ukraine. Firstly, it is quite possible that Musk will take further action to shut them down after the public presentation of the two vehicles, and secondly, their suitability for the front line may be questioned for several reasons.

In the video, for example, you can see that the guns move quite violently on the loading area. Compared to a machine gun mounted on a US Army Humvee, this is a clear difference and a disadvantage when firing salvos. The open loading area also means that the soldiers have very little cover and – especially when driving – very little grip.

Electric cars would be at a disadvantage at the front

In addition, electric cars – although they tend to be quieter – are probably not generally suitable for use on the front lines. Firstly, there is the charging infrastructure. Intact charging stations are unlikely to be found in war zones, so diesel generators would be necessary. But why not just pour the fuel directly into diesel vehicles? The detour via the generator makes little sense, especially since, despite the quick-charging function, the trucks are naturally not charged nearly as quickly as a comparable combustion engine would be refueled.

In addition, the electricity cannot be easily taken along, which means that the radius of use would be smaller than with diesel trucks, on which you could carry canisters.

When it comes to protecting soldiers, the Cybertruck is not nearly as suitable as equivalent military vehicles, despite all the advertising. Elon Musk repeatedly claims that the truck is bulletproof, but this is limited to slow, small-caliber bullets. The stainless steel body would be no match for a shot at the front.

In addition to all these hurdles, there is always the threat of the manufacturer shutting the truck down – a risk that cannot be taken in use. It is therefore very likely that Kadyrov’s trucks are just a show and a provocation, as he seems to have managed to circumvent the sanctions against Russia on several occasions.