The floggings will continue until the recruiters make their quotas

One of the toughest, most important, and most thankless assignments that can fall to a member of the military is recruiting: just ask a recruiter. Consider this case from Ukraine, where a regional recruiting chief is on trial for failing to make his numbers. Excerpt:

. . . Here in the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine Military enlistment chief Andriy Prihodchenko is facing ten days in jail because, according to the court, during Ukraine's 5th wave of conscription, his region recruited only 64% of the number of men it was supposed to. 

Outside the court, supporters of the accused gather. They believe Prihodchenko, after just four months in the job, is being made a scapegoat for low recruitment figrues across the board. 

Antonina Galkina, activist: "These accusations are trying to dicredit him. Here in the Mykolaiv region I'm definitely not the only one who hasn't heard about any other cases against enlistment officers." 

Prihodchenko admits - the five wave of mobilisation was not fully completed. But, he says, the problem wasn't only down to his department. 

Andriy Prihodchenko, recruitment officer: "No one is taking any responsibility for not fulfilling their duties. As far as I know I'm not the only one, there are a number of enlistment officers who haven't done it. And no one has been punished for it." 

The prosecutors hit back - they admit that recrutiment across the region was bad but in Prihodchenko's district the numbers were lowest of all. 

Meanwhile Prihodchenko's superiors have come out in his defense - asking the court to drop the case, pointing to his military honours and to the fact that in the current, sixth wave of mobilisation - his recruitment office is among the best - 5th out of 23 in the region. 

The case highlights tensions over conscription in Ukraine for a conflict the government refuses to officially call a war. Fighting has raged for more than a year in east Ukraine and over 6,000 people have lost their lives. 

Prihodchenko's fate hangs in the balance - the court is in reccess to collect more evidence.

One wonders what the charge is. Dereliction? If so, what's the proof, other than not making quota?