Soviet has some problem too, u know:
1. Going penal + flamethrower spam means u got absolutely no defense against SC. Penal scales very bad in mid and late game.
4. Ele has the same view range and it can get the scope.
To make that fair, Relic decided to make Penals shit tear early game too, so they can suck the entire game for a premium. Not as much as Conscripts, whose only apparent function is to die so the enemy gets vet faster.