What could Soviet carriers do short of peer war?

What would the Soviet Union use aircraft carriers for in a non-peer or near-peer conflict?

They could support allies in regional conflicts with airstrikes and visible power projection, especially in Africa and other contested regions.

In a regional conflict, a Soviet carrier could provide airstrikes and air support to allied forces. Civil wars in Africa supply the example. The deployment would also demonstrate power and support for the ally's government. This interpretation gives carriers a political and military role short of fighting American carrier groups.