Ukraine switches from Baltic Height System to European Vertical Reference

As of January 1, 2026, Ukraine has abandoned the Baltic Height System of 1977 and switched to the European Vertical Reference System (EVRS), in line with a Cabinet of Ministers resolution adopted in 2023.

Under the new system, the reference zero for elevation measurements in Ukraine is now tied to the Amsterdam tide gauge, replacing the Kronstadt tide gauge previously used as the baseline.

According to the State Service for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (StateGeoCadastre), the transition to EVRS is intended to replace an outdated vertical reference system that no longer meets modern requirements for accuracy, development, or integration with the unified height systems used across Europe.

In 2024–2025, StateGeoCadastre carried out a precise adjustment of the national leveling network of Class I, II, and III benchmarks. The agency compiled a catalog of around 34,000 leveling points — including about 16,000 Class I and II points and 18,000 Class III points — and developed a model enabling the conversion of GNSS-based geodetic heights into normal heights compliant with EVRS standards.

• Previously, Ukraine relied on the Baltic Height System of 1977 for topographic mapping and economic needs. That system was based on the zero level of the Kronstadt tide gauge in Russia.
• EU member states have linked their national height systems within the United European Leveling Network, which uses the zero level of the Amsterdam tide gauge as its reference point.