1) Overall, the chain of command in the USSR was somewhat less prone to mishaps due to a rogue personnel or to errors, because decisions had to be taken both by the military and by a political appointee. In brief, the political commissar and the military commander had to agree on a course of action at every level of the hierarchy. The anecdote with the Soviet submarine in Cuba is an example of that situation. I wonder how things are organized now in Russia in this respect.