[PlasmaKrab]

OK, I get the point.
I was more familiar with the Israeli idea that a trained crew is the hardest thing to replace in a tank, meaning that the engine was there to buffer shots for the crew, not the other way around.
Given the Soviet doctrine of that time, the idea that the crew is more easily replaced than major systems makes some sense, except regarding troops morale... (and electronics-rich control systems that might not be very spall-proof, by the way)

Anyhow, isn't the whole point of these tank-IFV hybrids and the heavy APC BTR-T/BMP-T series about protecting the infantry and the crew?