Japan Tobacco (JT) will close its Moscow cigarette factory and make 573 workers redundant in response to falling sales in Russia, the company said.

JT will continue to operate its factory in St. Petersburg. “The company is committed to maintaining a strong market presence in Russia and will continue to invest for sustainable business growth in the mid- to long-term,” JT said. The Moscow facility, which makes LD and Troyka, will be shuttered by mid-2016, the company said. The plant manufactured about 40 billion cigarettes last year.