Avro Lancaster - Soviet Users

During the World War II, many aircrafts were sold to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the Allied powers, mainly fighters and bombers, however they were reluctant to sale them four-engined bombers, in fact, the USSR didn't have oficially, any American or British made four-engined bomber.
Aside of the domestically built Petlyakov Pe-8 the Soviet long range aviation group of the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) relied primarily on twin-engined bombers like the Ilyushin Il-4 or the lend leased North American B-25 Mitchell, among others.
The VVS, on its part, focused on providing close air-support to the Red Army troops. Considering the importance of the strategical long-range bombing during the World War II, the VVS leadership asked the Allied for some four-engined bombers, however the Allies didn't want to sale one of their best weapon. In fact the top-secret Norden bombsights were removed from the B-25 Mitchells that were sold.
In spite of the refusal to sale those four-engined bombers, the VVS's pilots managed to get two Avro Lancasters, as in September 1944  British authorities launched the operation Paravane with the objective of sinking the German Battleship Tirpitz, stationed in Northern Norway as the Battleship posed a serious threat for the North Sea convoys. So the British initial plan was to take-off from airfields in Lincolnshire reach the Yagodnik airfield, in Arkhangelsk, the USSR, refuel, resupply and depart again to bomb the Tirpitz. So on 11th September 1944 a force of 10 Avro Lancaster took-off for Yagodnik in an 11-hours flight. In the trip, due to heavy fog and rain, seven of them were forced to land on the Taiga and only three of them landed successfuly in Yagodnik. British and Soviet ground crews managed to repair one of them and the rest of them took off on 15th September to bomb the Tirpitz that was highly protected and only one bomber managed to score a hit, damaging the ship but not destroying it.
After dropping the bombs, the Lancasters returned to Lincolnshire, and, after being inspected by Soviet mechanics, it was decided that two of the six were salvageable and were sent to the workshops of the White Sea Fleet. They were eventually rehabilitated, but, not as long range bombers.
One of them (the one depicted below) was marked with the number 1 was assigned to the 16th Transport Detachment at the end of January 1945 and was used not just as a transport but also as a convoy escort and long-range reconnaissance tasks (specially in remote areas of the White Sea looking for German U-Boats) thanks to its exceptional long range. After the war in Europe ended, this Lancaster was sent to the Pacific but it was stranded on-route when they tried to refuel in Krasnoyark but the fuel there wasn't of the type needed by the Lancaster. When the fuel had arrived, Japan had already surrended and the aircraft was sent to a technical school in Riga and its ultimate fate is unknown.
The second one (that we couldn't find pics of it so, unfortunately, it's not depicted) was numbered with the number 2 and was sent to the 70th transport regiment where it served as a transport. It was badly damaged in a landing accident at Moscow just after the war and it wasn't repaired.
Though they never were engaged in combat, it's worth to point out how the Soviets used absolutely everything they had in their hands to win the war.

Sources:
1. https://vvsairwar.com/2016/08/12/the-soviet-unions-british-built-avro-lancasters/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paravane
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancaster
4. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 52 - Lancaster in Action