Don’t know how much stock to put into this, but they could just as easily go to a drydock in a friendly country and get it done.
It would be more expensive, but you could get it done.
Anyway, that sort of sucks for the Russians. I believe they are adversaries. What do you call a bunch of countries that spied on a sitting US President and tried to game an election?
I don’t call them allies.
National interest beats all.
I don’t think Russia has any friendly countries that have a drydock of adequate size. Their friends are “sh*thole” countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba.