North Koreans would rather "eat grass" then give up their nuclear weapons programme, Vladimir Putin has said.

The Russian President condemned North Korea's latest military test, but also warned against using military force against the country, calling it a "road to nowhere" that could lead to a "global catastrophe."

North Korea conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date on Sunday, triggering US warnings of a "massive military response."

Rattled by the test, South Korea conducted live-fire exercises at sea in its second straight day of military display.

Key moments in North Korea's nuclear programme

While Mr Putin condemned the North's nuclear test as "provocative," he stopped short of expressing willingness to impose more sanctions on North Korea, saying Moscow views them as "useless and ineffective."

Mr Putin said North Korea's neighbours should engage with it, not whip up "military hysteria."

"It's a road to nowhere. Whipping up military hysteria — this will lead to no good," he said. "It could cause a global catastrophe and an enormous loss of life."

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

The Russian president, who was in China for a summit of leading emerging economies, told reporters he had remarked to one of his counterparts at the talks that North Korea "will eat grass but will not give up the [nuclear] programme if they don't feel safe."