The "monkey model" shiped to the Iraqis, and manned by Arab troops, were indeed a joke. Wether Russian T-72s, or the follow on T-80, manned by Russian troops, who after all creamed the Nazi Panzers with their T-34s, might be another thing. The same could be said of Chinese Type 98 tanks.
You probably remember a US Major from the USMLM in Pottsdam who died getting out of a T-80 tank warehouse years ago (after getting lots of interior photos). My company got the alert call and retrieved his body that Friday night from the Russians.
Likewise, at Spandau prison, we'd take the guard rotation from the Russians there. I'll never forget that ceremony. We had lots of interactions with Soviet forces there - always competitive - always good-natured.
Except when we went to see their barracks area. Talk about living in Hell. They slept in hay beds, had no running water, shit literally running down the walls of their buildings where the latrines were. The individual soldiers had no idea where in the world they were - since the only maps within a company were kept by the LT and the platoon sergeant.
Their officers had fat, ugly wives. They lived in decent quarters, and the enlisted men were essentially their servants. The NCOs - the few that they had - had killer looking wives and worse quarters. But their women.......damn.