An amazingly accurate article (especially for CNN) on the main design failing of Russian, aka Soviet designed, tanks in combat in the Ukraine. It is definitely worth reading it in full. And good photos too.
During the development and design of the T-72, the chief of the Soviet Defense Ministry in 1976, Dmitriy Ustinov said that the T-72 represented a “step backward in Soviet tank development” and put a cap on production and development of the T-72 in favor of deploying the more modern T-64 and T-80 tanks with improved fire control and protective measures for units facing NATO in Germany. The T-72 would be envisioned for utilization by second line units and for export sales.
The soviets were well aware of the problems with the T-72 after the 1982 Lebanon War. The Syrians provided the Soviets with captured Israeli tanks and M111 APFSDS ammo fired from M48A5 tanks. The shocking test results led them to initiate a crash program to refit the T-72 with applique armor and other defensive innovations as a stop gap measure.
These “improvements,” their success with export sales, along with the cheaper cost of the T-72 caused the Soviets and later the Russian Federation to keep in in place and to elevate it to the status of a main line battle tank, having lulled themselves into a complacent sense of security by dint of these “modernizations.”
The Russkis have never considered ergonomic comfort, nor the survivability of their AFV crews as a prime consideration in their designs until the T-14. They have always seemed to rely on mass and brute force steam roller tactics to overwhelm their enemies.
I imagine they'll now fully armor the top with some kind of hydraulics to open the far heavier hatch.