How is Tesla Cybertruck Explosion Suspect Connected to Ukraine?

As the investigation into the Tesla Cybertruck blast continues, new details have surfaced about Matthew Livelsberger's links to Ukraine.

The suspect was an active-duty United States Army Green Beret who was on approved leave from Germany and served with the 10th Special Forces Group, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.

He had a background in communications, IT, and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, a military colleague told CNN.

The 10th Special Forces Group has trained Ukrainian soldiers since 2014, both on US soil and more recently as part of coordinated Ukraine military assistance in Germany, according to reports in The New York Times and Defense One.

Livelsberger’s overseas assignments included serving in Ukraine, AP cited the US Army as saying. It was added that other assignments were in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A 2016 photo shared on social media by a woman thought to be Livelsberger’s wife and published by Newsweek shows him wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Slava Ukraini,” a term associated with Ukrainian nationalists. The authenticity of the photo has not been verified.

According to a screenshot of his LinkedIn activity, Livelsberger had commented on a post recruiting for a 30-day contract opportunity in Ukraine at $550 per day, saying that he knew somebody who would be a good fit. The comment appears to have since been deleted.