Soviet Admiral Hippers before Barbarossa

How would four Soviet Admiral Hippers affect the Baltic war before Barbarossa?

Their effect depends on basing; a Baltic ship creates caution, but Black Sea deployment could give the Soviets a much greater advantage.

Four Soviet Admiral Hippers would probably be divided among fleets, with Black Sea shipyards given as a reason to expect one or two there. A single Baltic ship would make Germany retain forces to watch it until aircraft could attack it or military advances force it back. Black Sea cruisers could give the Soviet Navy a much stronger position and complicate German operations there. Another ship might go to the Pacific. The answer places that ship's likely loss within its hypothetical Soviet-Japanese war around 1939, before Stalin agrees to invade Poland; it is not describing an actual Admiral Hipper deployment or loss.