Feb 19 (Reuters) - Russia's U.S. ambassador accused the United States of trying to justify its own actions in fomenting the crisis in Ukraine with allegations of Russian crimes against humanity, TASS state news agency said on Sunday.

"We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonize Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us," Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was quoted as saying.

"There is no doubt that the purpose of such attacks by Washington is to justify its own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard)