He went off into the Barents Sea -- where the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in August 2000 and killed 118 seamen just months into Putin's first term as president -- Monday evening to oversee what has been advertised as some of the largest war games staged by Russia in recent years.

News reports said they included six submarines carrying nuclear weapons. Tu-95 strategic bombers were due to test fire cruise missiles Tuesday over the Kola Peninsula on the northwestern edge of Russia near the Finnish border.

The exercises include the test launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles from submarines and ground troops across Russia and onto military target sites in the country's Far East.

ITAR-TASS reported that the games -- which were expected to last several weeks -- would feature some 5,000 servicemen.

Putin was shown wearing navy gear Monday evening as he boarded the Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine, Russia's largest nuclear submarine.

He inspected the ship and dined with the crew in a move which only bolsters his tough-guy image among voters ahead of March 14 presidential elections.

The Kremlin press service said he spent the night on board the submarine with the seamen and was expected to stay there until Tuesday evening.

But Putin faced a potentially embarrassing mishap when the Gazeta.ru Internet news site reported that a test intercontinental ballistic missile misfired during a launch from a nuclear submarine as the Russian president watched on from the deck of another submarine.

The report said the ICBM exploded shortly after takeoff. It did not mention any casualties and the navy press office refused to confirm the report.

Russian military officials have repeatedly said on the eve of the war games that they were a regular test of the country's military readiness and not aimed as a show of force against the West.

Meanwhile Putin's approval rating is reported at up to 80 percent -- a figure similar to that he brandished in 2000 when his drive to raise Russia's self-esteem through strong nationalist rhetoric helped him succeed Boris Yeltsin.

WAR.WIRE