Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister who has recently been promoted to secretary of the National Security Council, stated on the 16th that Russian forces are advancing in all directions in the special military operation zone in Ukraine. 
In an interview made public on Telegram by Pavel Zarubin, a reporter for Russia’s national broadcaster Rossiya, Secretary Shoigu said, “The offensive is going well in all directions.”
He added, “We expect this movement to continue, and specific forces, equipment, and ammunition have been created for this purpose.”
This is the first media interview made public since Secretary Shoigu changed position from Defense Minister to Secretary of the National Security Council. On the same day, he accompanied President Vladimir Putin on a visit to China.
Shoigu served as Defense Minister for 12 years from 2012 before being appointed as Secretary of the National Security Council on April 12th. The Defense Minister was replaced by economic expert and former Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, leading to speculation that Shoigu was demoted.
Regarding his new position, Secretary Shoigu stated, “It’s hard to choose one, but my main mission is still the special military operation like ammunition, weapons, and military supplies production. This is the main task for all of us.”