Once the Soviet go to an active war, the issue of resupply units at the fronts becomes a issue that the Soviets have never really dealt with. Take for instance during WWII units on the front-line were lucky if they received resupply of ammo and fuel for their units if a unit part of an offensive movement. In many cases, units that hadn't achieved breakthrough were left on their own.
In many cases once a unit that was part of the breakthrough would drive literally until they were no longer able to carry out offensive operations. Once the unit stop they would be reconstituted as unit, by either getting replacement, or being absorbed into other units. So in many cases, it would take the breakdown of supply chain after 1998 up to 2000 for many Commanders to get to the point where they may start to feel that switching sides may be alternative.
Another thing is the Soviet units in peacetime, were quite accustom to doing things for themselves and not relay on their chain of command to provide supplies they needed. They grow their garden, they have their own cottage industries in each unit where craft person in the unit use their skills to provide way for commander to generate money so they can go out to purchase items needed for this need or that with in the unit. Or the fact at times they will send troop into town to work as General Laborers as needed. Or the fact that in many cases when the Soviet Union had proclaimed they had larger than usually harvests in the Ukraine, it was due to large number of troop being used to help harvest said crops.
Another thing is the Soviet model always the unit relay on the Officers to carry out function that in many units of Western Europe, Canadian, and US units that were performed by NCO's and in some case almost every soldier was required to have basic knowledge to do. Such as map reading, land navigation, and calling in for fire support. In many cases when lead units have had Officers killed, with no one else left that knows how to read basic map or know where they are, units have grounded to halt.
Only units in the Soviet Union where the NCOs had much knowledge of doing things was their Missile/Nuclear troops and even this was 'treasonable'. Even though it common knowledge they knew how to perform their Officer duties if they weren't able to carry them out, the Officers who had shared such knowledge with their NCO could be court martial.
So in some cases the Soviets unit command element wouldn't be in too much of hurry to defect, but by 1999 and 2000 in t2k setting, I could see more and more commanders and their staff ready to change sides or to strike out on their own.
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