Kiev - Spot fuel shortages were on the increase in Ukraine
on Friday, as Kiev and Moscow moved towards an agreement on natural
gas shipments to the former Soviet republic.
Diesel fuel reserves for public heating plants were, according to
local politicians, down to two days' supply in the capital Kiev, as
officials scrambled to keep homes and businesses warm during Russia's
natural gas embargo.
Hot water to millions of homes had been cut off to residents of
the provincial cities Zhitomyr, Zaporizhia and Chernovtsi owing to
low pressure in gas lines needed to fire water-heating plants.
Public heating economy measures were in effect in the eastern city
Kharkiv and throughout the industrial Donbass region, the Interfax
news agency reported.
Mill slowdowns in Ukraine's economically critical metals sector
took place in Dniropetrovsk and Krivoi Rih earlier in the week
because of gas shortages.
The Stirol chemicals company, one of Ukraine's most powerful
industrial concerns, halted operations completely at a Donetsk
ammonium factory, according to a Unian website report.
Ukraine's government at the outset of the Russian gas embargo
begun January 1 promised voters homes and residences would receive
continued supplies of fuel from domestic reserves, but that
industrial concerns could experience gas shortages.
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