MOSCOW- Russia's Gazprom on Tuesday said its natural gas exports outside the former Soviet Union for Jan. 1 to May 31 had increased 27.2% year on year to 84.2 billion cubic metres.

Gazprom said its gas output for the period had risen to 221.9 bcm, up 16.2% year on year.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Oksana Kobzeva Writing by Alexander Marrow Editing by David Goodman ) ((alexander.marrow@thomsonreuters.com;))