15 Countries Used to Be Part of Soviet Union, Including Russia, Ukraine

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Russia has been invading Ukraine since February 24, 2022, in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian war that began in 2014. According to Reuters, Russia's indiscriminate shelling has resulted in many casualties in Ukraine and forced Ukrainians to flee to several bordering countries. 

It is unclear what Russian President Vladimir Putin's motivation is behind this geopolitical war. However, reports suggest that Putin wants to reclaim much of the territory that was lost when the Soviet Union collapsed.

According to The Sun, among several countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, Russia was seen as the successor state to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union had also declared Ukraine as a legitimate successor.

Between 1990 and 1991, the countries of the former Soviet Union claimed their independence from the Soviet Union. European Union officials urged these countries to ratify association agreements with their union.

The Republic of the Soviet Union was a socialist country that existed from 1922 to 1991. Covering an area of more than 8,649,500 miles from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, it was the largest country in the world at the time, with Moscow as its capital.

Former Soviet Union States

The Soviet Union was officially dissolved on December 26, 1991. The dissolution was politically associated with the radical reforms carried out by President Mikhail Gorbachev during his six-year leadership. In return, its 15 constituent republics gained full independence.

Here is a list of the 15 countries of the former Soviet Union and their date of independence:

1. Estonia (May 8, 1990)

2. Lithuania (March 11, 1990)

3. Latvia (May 4, 1990)

4. Azerbaijan (August 30, 1991)

5. Georgia (April 9, 1991)

6. Russia (December 12, 1991)

7. Uzbekistan (August 31, 1991)

8. Moldova (August 27, 1991)

9. Ukraine (August 24, 1991)

10. Belarus (December 10, 1991)

11. Turkmenistan (October 27, 1991)

12. Armenia (September 21, 1991)

13. Kazakhstan (December 16, 1991)

14. Kyrgyzstan (August 31, 1991)

15. Tajikistan (September 9, 1991)

Russia is the largest country in the world and has the largest territory among the 15 countries. Kazakhstan is the second-largest post-Soviet state after Russia, while Moldova has the smallest land area.

RISMA DAMAYANTI 

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