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Why don't LTS distros consistently use/offer LTS kernels?

I've noticed that the default kernel selection for Ubuntu 22.04, for example, is Linux 5.15.0. Ubuntu 22.04 is a LTS release, which is supposed to have standard support [until April 2027](https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle), and Linux 5.15 is also LTS [supported until October 2026](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel_version_history) - so there won't be *too* much of a gap there (and [such gaps are apparently ordinary](https://linux.codidact.com/posts/291212)).

But while Ubuntu users who want to upgrade the kernel [might have to choose their own version and do the work themselves](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ubuntu+upgrade+kernel), Linux Mint offers a fixed kernel upgrade for users who need it for newer hardware. Specifically, Linux Mint 21.x (based on Ubuntu 22.04) offers an upgrade to the 6.5 kernel - which is *not* an LTS release, and is *already EOL* since November 2023.

Since Mint is based exclusively on the LTS Ubuntu releases, **why not use the 6.6 LTS kernel release instead?** Then the kernel would be supported until December 2026, and the distro would only be on the hook for support for a few months [until April 2027](https://www.linuxmint.com/download_all.php).