Cybertruck Praised as 'Super Cool' by Putin's Ally, Deemed 'Useless' by Military Expert for War Use

The Tesla Cybertruck, lauded by Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, has been criticized by military experts as "super cool" but ultimately "useless" on the battlefield, highlighting its impracticality in warfare.

Cybertruck's Battlefield Use Questioned by Experts

The video of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what looked like a machine gun mounted on top went viral on social media this week.

An expert in military strategy has predicted that the futuristic electric vehicle, which resembles a spacecraft, will be completely ineffective on the battlefield despite its impressive appearance and potential beneficial attributes in rough terrain.

"Where do you recharge this thing on the battlefield? There are no Tesla outlets on the front lines in the Donbas," stated Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior expert on the International Security Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Kadyrov Lauds Cybertruck as 'Cyberbeast'

Kadyrov praised the Cybertruck in a Saturday Telegram message, claiming to have learned the reason it is "rightfully called the Cyberbeast" from firsthand experience.

According to SCMP, Chechnya allegedly acquired the Cybertruck from Elon Musk, a claim that the billionaire vehemently refuted on X, formerly Twitter, but Kadyrov, a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, lauded Musk nonetheless.

Cybertruck's Deployment in Ukraine Doubted

War continues 2½ years after Russia invaded the country in February 2022, according to Kadyrov, who also stated that the Cybertruck would be deployed to the battlefield soon.

Kadyrov made the following statement: "I am confident that this ‘beast’ will greatly benefit our soldiers." According to the leader, some 43,000 Chechen fighters have served in Ukraine since the battle started earlier this year.

Experts Dismiss Kadyrov’s Cybertruck Claims as Empty Threats

Per Business Insider, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the roughly US$100,000 automobiles and the lifting of Western sanctions, two experts in the region have dismissed Kadyrov's assertion that he intends to transfer the car to Russian forces stationed in Ukraine as likely nothing more than empty threats.

"Kadyrov is basically a bizarre man-child who loves expensive toys (and abusing the people of Chechnya)," said Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and a historian of the Soviet Union and US-Soviet relations. "He and Musk, at the very least, share a passion for internet trolling."

Antics like playing soccer with the late Argentine great Diego Maradona and getting Hilary Swank to attend the leader's birthday celebration are typical of the extravagant media stunts that the leader established by Putin enjoys pulling out.

Military Expert Warns of Logistical Issues

Beyond Kadyrov's insatiable need for fame, however, Cancian argued that it would be logistically foolish to deploy a Cybertruck to war. Cancian claims that the infrastructure and tools needed to power the vehicle—which uses an electric motor and rechargeable batteries rather than the conventional gasoline engine—are usually absent from battlefields.

"Maybe you could bring your own generator and hook it up to some custom-design Tesla outlet, but now you’re running a generator to produce electricity to power your electric vehicle," he explained. "And where’s the value in that?

Cancian stated that the US Army is attempting to resolve this matter. The idea of US forces going electric is being promoted by certain military figures as a means to address the climate catastrophe. Cancian noted that the military is still attempting to determine how to come up with the enormous quantity of readily available electricity needed to electrify army vehicles.

He did concede that there might be extremely unusual scenarios in which Russian soldiers in Ukraine could benefit from a Cybertruck. In a unique operation, the vehicle's stealth could make up for its inconvenience, says Cancian.

Cybertruck’s Stealth Potential Contradicted by Its Silence

While Kadyrov boasts about the Cybertruck's long-range cannon, Cancian argues that the vehicle's clandestine advantages are undermined by its already very silent operation.

Cancian put it succinctly: "That is super cool and totally useless."