Following the breakup of the soviet union, 15 of its former republics became independent. 12 of these former republics formed the commonwealth of the independent states, largely in recognition of

Twelve of the post Soviet countries formed the Commonwealth of Independent States, to maintain the trade links established during Soviet times

their shared history and culture. The remaining 3 former republics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) chose not to join the Commonwealth and pursued their own paths toward independence and integration with other international organizations.

To confirm the number of former Soviet republics that became independent after the breakup of the Soviet Union, you can follow these steps:

1. Start by confirming the number of republics that constituted the Soviet Union before its breakup. The Soviet Union consisted of 15 republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

2. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, these republics had the opportunity to declare independence and establish their respective sovereign states.

3. To determine the number of former Soviet republics that became independent, subtract the 3 Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) that opted not to join the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Therefore, the answer is that 15 former Soviet republics became independent after the breakup of the Soviet Union, with 12 forming the Commonwealth of Independent States and the remaining 3 pursuing independent paths outside of the CIS.