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. (dpa)