 Circassian historians cite casualty figures that lie near the four million mark, while official Russian figures are near 300,000.The Russian census of 1897 records only 150,000 Circassians, one tenth of the original number, still remaining in the now conquered region.In reference to the actions of the Russian army during the conflict, Russian President Boris Yeltsin stated in May 1994 that resistance to the tsarist forces was legitimate; however, he did not recognize "the guilt of the tsarist government for the genocide."