They are counter parts volks and rifles.
Plus it's unfortunately the way it is. Remember volks got stgs because with a side tech and a boat lod of munitions rifles would massacre volks with little regard for the fact that now volks mulch cons.
That's because over the past year or two [Relic/MOD Team] adopted the idea that Conscripts are not combat units, they are support unit intended to cover other units and replace losses with merge, therefor should not be given any upgrades to withstand Volksgrenadiers or Grenadiers. Recently they gave them a late-game upgrade intended to synergize with Merge, granting a larger squad and cheaper reinforcement, and a cover bonus to encourage static play with sandbags.
Personally I don't like that idea because it just feels so incredibly wrong to me that the Soviet faction relies on a small cadre of Penal Troops as their backbone to fend off the hordes of cheaper and more numerous Volksgrenadiers.