Russian authorities say the suspect in the killing of a Russian general in a car bomb explosion claimed he was paid by the Ukrainian Security Service as he pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his country has regained control of Kursk, the border region where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive last year, though Ukraine’s army says fighting continues.

A senior Central Intelligence Agency official’s son who had joined the Russian military was killed last year during an offensive in eastern Ukraine. The agency said it was a private tragedy and not a national security issue.