Ramzan Kadyrov says the Cybertruck will be handed over to Russian forces fighting in the war in Ukraine.

The leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya has heaped praise on Tesla boss Elon Musk and invited the billionaire to visit his region after he posted a video of himself driving a Cybertruck equipped with a cannon.

In a video posted on his Telegram channel on Saturday, Ramzan Kadyrov was seen driving a cybertruck through the regional capital Grozny and then straddling a machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicle.

“I express my sincere gratitude to Elon Musk. He is undoubtedly the strongest genius of our time and a specialist. A great man,” Kadyrov said in a post accompanying the video.

Kadyrov invited Musk to Grozny and said he would be received as “my dearest guest.”

“I do not think the Russian Foreign Ministry would have anything against such a trip,” he said.

Kadyrov, a committed ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also said he would donate the vehicle to Russian forces waging war against Ukraine.

“It is not called a cyberbeast for nothing,” said Kadyrov, describing the vehicle as “undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world.”

“I am sure that this beast will bring many benefits to our troops.”

Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned in the United States for alleged human rights abuses including torture and extrajudicial executions, said he received the truck from Musk.

Al Jazeera could not independently confirm Kadyrov’s explanation of how he obtained the vehicle.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tesla first introduced the Cybertruck as a concept vehicle in 2019 before bringing it to market last year.

While the vehicle is currently only available in North America, Musk said at an investor event earlier this year that it could be approved for other markets sometime in 2025.