Ukraine-Russia news – live: ‘Hybrid war unleashed against us,’ claims Russian envoy

Russia’s US ambassador has said claims by the US that Russia is behind crimes against humanity in Ukraine are an “attempt to demonise Russia”.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov accused the US of trying to justify its own actions in fomenting the crisis in Ukraine with the war crime allegations.

“We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonise Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us,” Mr Antonov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS state news agency.

“There is no doubt that the purpose of such attacks by Washington is to justify its own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis,” he said.

The United States has formally concluded that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” during its war in Ukraine, vice president Kamala Harris has said.

“In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity,” Ms Harris, a former prosecutor, told the Munich Security Conference.

“And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in those crimes, you will be held to account.”

The official determination carries with it no immediate consequences for the ongoing war but, according to Reuters, Washington hopes that it could help further isolate Vladimir Putin and galvanise legal efforts to hold members of his government accountable through international courts and sanctions.

Washington is concerned that China is considering supplying weapons to Russia, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken has said – warning top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi of consequences in such an event.

The pair met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, just hours after Wang described Washington as “hysterical” in a running dispute over the US downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

In an interview to be aired on Sunday morning on NBC News, Mr Blinken said the US was very concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia and that he made clear to Wang that “would have serious consequences in our relationship.”

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said, adding that Washington would soon release more details.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to arrive in Turkey for an official visit in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Also topping the agenda will be the stalled Nato bids of Sweden and Finland, which Turkey has so far refused to ratify, saying Stockholm in particular has harboured individuals it alleges are members of terrorist groups. Ankara has recently indicated it would approve only Finland.

Mr Blinken will land at Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, from where he will take a helicopter tour of the area devastated by the earthquakes. He will then hold bilateral talks on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and may meet with president Tayyip Erdogan, according to Reuters.

French president Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that Russia “cannot and must not win this war against Ukraine”.

“Accepting the normalization of the illegal use of force would mean calling European security and global security into question. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must fail,” Mr Macron said.

He added that while France wants Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, it does not want to “crush” it.

“I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil,” the French president said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said most of the people in the country still have access to electricity despite another day of Russian missile attacks.

Russia had launched 16 missiles at Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

Mr Zelensky said sections of the country’s electrical infrastructure that were shut off in anticipation of the attack were being re-enabled.

“This is a very significant result for Ukraine. A result we achieved together,” he added.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken had conversations with SpaceX chief Elon Musk about the use of his company’s Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine.

SpaceX had put in place measures earlier this month to prevent Ukraine’s Armed Forces from using the satellite internet service for controlling drones, Reuters reported.

“Well, I can’t share any conversations we’ve had other than to say we’ve had conversations,” Mr Blinken said in an interview with NBC News.

The Dutch government is reportedly expelling some Russian diplomats out of the country, accusing Moscow of “secretly” getting intelligence agents into the Netherlands.

“Russia keeps trying to secretly get intelligence agents into the Netherlands under cover of diplomacy. We cannot and shall not allow that,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement on Saturday.

“At the same time Russia refuses to give visas to Dutch diplomats who would work at the consulate in St Petersburg or the embassy in Moscow,” he added.

The Dutch government also said it would be closing its consulate in St Petersburg.

The Netherlands is the latest in a line of countries, including France, Denmark, and Austria that have expelled Russian diplomats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned China of consequences if it provides weapons and material support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Blinken said following a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that the US was concerned Beijing may supply weapons to Moscow.

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said, adding that Washington would soon release more details, Reuters reported.

The Chinese diplomat told Mr Blinken that the US must “face up to and resolve the damage” to relations between the two countries “caused by the indiscriminate use of force,” referring to the recent shootdown of what the US suspected to be a Chinese spy balloon.

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured Hrianykivka, a village in Ukraine‘s eastern Kharkiv region that is well to the north of most significant fighting.

A briefing note from Ukraine‘s General Staff later on Saturday said the village was being shelled, but made no mention of an assault.

Hrianykivka is around 180 km (110 miles) north of Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has seen fierce fighting in recent weeks.