MOSCOW- Russian gas producer Gazprom said on Thursday that its natural gas exports outside the former Soviet Union had increased 28.4% year-on-year to 60.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) between Jan. 1 and April 15.

The company added that it had produced 158.1 bcm of natural gas during that same period, up 12% year on year.

(Reporting by Marina Bobrova and Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Maria Kiselyova) ((Gabrielle.Tetrault-Farber@thomsonreuters.com))