MOSCOW, May 27 (Reuters) - Russia's natural gas output for January to April rose 7.8% year on year to 253.3 billion cubic metres (bcm) thanks to a rising domestic demand and eastbound exports, Kommersant daily reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with energy ministry's data.

It also said that Russian natural gas output in April alone, including flaring, increased by 2.6% to 56.4 bcm.

Kommerasnt said that Russia's largest natural gas producer Gazprom could have increased output by 10.8% in the first four months of the year to 167 bcm. The data does not give Gazprom's output separately, the newspaper said.

The Kremlin-controlled company registered a loss of almost $7 billion last year, its first annual loss since 1999, hit by plummeting gas exports to Europe resulting from the political fallout over the conflict in Ukraine. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin Editing by David Goodman)