"For us [Russia], the war in Ukraine … is a rehearsal for a possibly larger conflict in the future," a top Russian political scientist warned on the Russian-state TV talk show "60 Minutes." 

Alexei Fenenko, a research fellow at the Institute of International Security Studies, told Olga Skabeyeva, the show's host, that the invasion of Ukraine was a testing ground of military tactics and equipment for a much broader conflict, one that could potentially involve NATO.

"And that is why we'll test and go up against NATO weapons, and will see on the battlefield how much stronger our weapons really are compared to theirs ... maybe it will be a learning experience for a future conflict," Fenenko said.