Not it isn't. Soviets can chose tiers based on what they want/need, as Ostheer you have almost no choice but to waste your fuel/mp to make a tier for a single unit or just wait for call ins.
Both Soviets and Ostheer have expensive teching, it's just that one actually has the ability to refuse to tech beyond even their first tier building because the entire faction was designed to be a call in meta faction.
I can't go tech 1 into Tigers/Elefants as Ost. But I can absolutely go t2 into any call in doctrine in the game as soviets.
No no and no.
Chose tiers based on what soviets need? What is I need maxim but 10min later I will need snipers? What if I need sniper but later I will need mortar? OST tiers are the most flexible. You always bulid T1 and T2, no matter what. In those 2 tiers you have everything. Then you can make Pz4. Soviets can't gor for T1,T2 and T3/4.
And Ostheer faction is not call in?
In first to tiers you have everything what Soviets have. And everything is better except sniper.
So basically you can do T1+T2+Tiger.