By Gleb Stolyarov and Alexander Marrow
(Reuters) - The Western automakers that dominated Russia's car market left following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, leaving a slumping production and sales in their wake, with domestic producers and Chinese firms picking up the pieces.
Here is an overview of the fate of foreign carmakers' assets in Russia:
RENAULT
One of the first Western carmakers to exit, France's Renault in May 2022 sold its majority stake in carmaker Avtovaz and its Moscow factory with annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles to the Russian state, each for one rouble, sources told Reuters at the time. The deal gave Renault a six-year buyback option on its Avtovaz stake.
Moscow's mayor hailed November's production launch of the Soviet-era Moskvich at the plant as a historic brand revival. Two sources, who asked not to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media, told Reuters the Moskvich 3 model is a JAC Sehol X4 assembled in Moscow using kits purchased from a Chinese partner.
Moskvich told Reuters it works with a "foreign partner" but did not confirm ties to JAC. It said it would start to build more of the car locally later this year or in early 2024.
Russia's Central Automobile and Engine Research and Development Institute (NAMI) - a state entity - acquired Renault's Avtovaz stake.
Avtovaz, Russia's leading carmaker, subsequently bought RN Bank, a joint venture between Italian lender UniCredit and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, for an undisclosed fee.
NISSAN
NAMI purchased Nissan's Russian business for one euro in October with a six-year buyback clause, which the Japanese carmaker said cost it around $687 million.
That deal included Nissan's production and research facilities in St Petersburg, with production of 100,000 units, as well as its sales and marketing centre in Moscow.
The plant, now owned by Avtovaz, was renamed Lada St Petersburg and produces Lada X-Cross 5s in cooperation with what Avtovaz calls an "Eastern partner".
A source close to the company told Reuters that China's FAW Group's Bestune T77 compact utility vehicle is being used to produce Lada cars there. FAW did not respond to Reuters questions. Avtovaz declined to provide further details.
Avtovaz has said publicly it plans to begin localising production in 2024, using parts from suppliers in St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
BMW, HYUNDAI, KIA
In Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic coast, Chinese Kaiyi cars are now being produced by carmaker Avtotor, which previously assembled BMW, Hyundai and Kia cars.