MILAN- Italy's biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo said loans to Russian and Ukrainian customers amounted to 5.1 billion euros ($5.6 billion), or 1% of the group's total, net of guarantees from credit export agencies.

When taking into account also off-balance sheet items, the total net exposure to the two countries stands at 5.7 billion euros, Reuters calculations based on Intesa's figures showed.

Nearly 80% of the overall loan figure is cross-border. Intesa's local subsidiaries in Russia and Ukraine account for just 1.1 billion euros in loans to customers and sums due from banks, Intesa said in a statement.

Some 200 million euros are loans to entities that have been hit by international sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, it said.

Like other major international banks, including domestic rival UniCredit, Intesa has said it is reviewing its presence in Russia, where it serves corporate clients with a staff of around 980 people across 28 branches.

UniCredit on Tuesday said it was considering pulling out of Russia.

Intesa, which used to handle more than half of commercial transactions between Italy and Russia, has financed major investment projects in Russia, such as the Blue Stream gas pipeline and the sale of a stake in oil producer Rosneft .

Intesa also employs 780 staff in Ukraine, where its Pravex Bank unit has 45 branches.

Intesa has said it was continuing to provide essential banking services at Pravex branches whenever it was safe to do so, while also helping to evacuate employees under threat.

Intesa said its local subsidiaries' off-balance sheet exposure amounted to 300 million euros.

For the rest of the group exposures deriving, for example, from untapped credit lines stood at 1.1 billion euros and was covered by 800 million euros in guarantees.

($1 = 0.9095 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Keith Weir)