The BBC reports that Putin's Kremlin is pressing ahead with its plan to alienate and provoke every single country on the planet, leaving Russia utterly alone in the world:

Japan has accused Russia of violating its airspace over the Pacific Izu islands and demanded an explanation.

Russia last violated Japan's airspace in January 2006 near Rebun Island near the northern island of Hokkaido, Japanese officials said. On Thursday, Japan held an annual rally to demand the return of four disputed islands - known as the Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan - which Russia seized in the closing days of World War II. The dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end the war. It was not clear whether Saturday's flyby was related to the rally. Despite their territorial disputes, Japan and Russia have recently indicated their desire to improve relations, the BBC's Chris Hogg reports from Tokyo. Russia wants Japanese financial support for development of its far eastern regions while Japan wants greater access to Russia's oil reserves. Whether the alleged incident was a mistake or something more sinister, such as an attempt to test Japan's defensive tactics, it has rattled the Japanese government, our correspondent says. Tokyo has demanded a full explanation from Moscow.