When modern cruisers still operate independently

Is independent operation still a meaningful requirement for a modern cruiser in wartime?

Yes, outside the most heavily contested zones; picket work and worldwide commitments can require large escorts to act apart from the main force.

A cruiser cannot operate casually inside a peer enemy's air-defence and strike environment. The apparent disappearance of independent cruising partly comes from imagining a compact theatre dominated by one opponent's land-based air power. Independence remains relative. Picket duty can separate a ship within a task force, while a globally active navy may detach a large escort to hunt threats or cover distant commitments. Such ships can operate away from the main formation without being expected to penetrate the enemy's strongest defences unsupported. The older cruising function survives without requiring complete tactical isolation.