KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's state-run Naftogaz and Ukrnafta oil and gas companies raised their natural gas output by 6% to around 12.3 billion cubic meters (bcm) between January and October, Naftogaz said on Thursday.

Naftogaz said in July it planned to increase gas output to 15 bcm this year, from 14 bcm in 2023. Ukrnafta is the largest oil company in Ukraine, and its 50% plus one share owned by Naftogaz.

Over the coming winter months, gas is essential to Ukraine for heating.

Ukraine's energy system has been a target for Russia whose strikes on power facilities have caused blackouts.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure that Ukrainians can go through the heating season on their own fuel," Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz Group, said.

Last year, overall Ukrainian gas production increased to 18.7 bcm from 18.5 bcm in 2022, while domestic consumption fell to about 19 bcm.

Ukraine, previously one of the largest importers of Russian gas, has since 2015 relied instead on imports from European Union countries and its own production.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Barbara Lewis)