Chechen Warlord’s Tesla Cybertruck Battlefield Plans Deemed Impractical by Experts
In a recent display of military bravado, Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov shared a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a mounted machine gun. Despite the vehicle’s futuristic appearance and rugged features, military experts have cast doubt on its practicality for battlefield use.
Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, raised concerns about the feasibility of recharging an electric vehicle on the front lines. “How are you going to recharge it?” Cancian questioned, highlighting a significant logistical challenge.
Kadyrov, in a Telegram post, praised the vehicle as the “Cyberbeast” and claimed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk personally sent it to Chechnya. Musk, however, has denied this assertion. The Chechen leader further announced plans to deploy the Cybertruck to the battlefield in Ukraine, stating it would benefit Russian soldiers.
Military experts and regional analysts have dismissed Kadyrov’s claims as impractical and likely a publicity stunt. Simon Miles, a historian at Duke University, described Kadyrov as a “bizarre man-child” with a penchant for expensive toys and attention-seeking behavior.
The logistical challenges of using an electric vehicle in a war zone are significant. Cancian emphasized the lack of necessary infrastructure for recharging, noting that even the US Army faces similar issues in its exploration of electrification for military vehicles.
While Cancian acknowledged that the Cybertruck could potentially be useful in rare, specific operations due to its stealth capabilities, he pointed out that the vehicle’s size and the mounted long-range gun contradict its potential for covert use.
In conclusion, despite its “super cool” appearance, Cancian deemed the Cybertruck “totally useless” for practical battlefield applications, underscoring the gap between flashy technology and the harsh realities of modern warfare.