(Reuters) – Russian carmaker Avtotor on Monday said it has begun production of Chinese Kaiyi cars at its plant in Kaliningrad, Russia’s exclave on the Baltic coast. The company said in a statement that it’s preparing to start sales of the Kaiyi model E5 early this year and launch production of another three models by the end of the year. Chinese brands have become major players in Russia’s car market, reflecting China’s growing importance to the Russian economy following the exodus of Western companies over Moscow’s decision to send troops into Ukraine last February. Avtotor, which previously …