Would you be comfortable operating a Russian tank in this war? These things are getting destroyed almost indiscriminately by drone attacks and javelins. I can only speculate the true reason for this augmentation, but my hunch is, indeed, primarily for psychological reassurance... the logic being bombs from above hit the cage and explode several feet away from the hull, sparing the occupants from a direct hit. We've seen incredible evidence that the charges plastered all over these tanks are doing nothing to protect the occupants, so another strategy is needed. Maybe there's other uses like you described, but I'm not convinced they are the impetus for the cages.