All six musicians from the rock band Bi-2 were transported from Thailand to Israel. They were met at Tel Aviv airport by Yegor Bortnik, known in Russia as a foreign agent under the alias Leva Bi-2, who had been deported from the country the day before. The group also received a greeting from Israel’s foreign affairs minister at the airport.
The minister noted that the mission to bring the musicians to Israel protected them from extradition to Russia and the risk of a lengthy prison term there. He posted a joint photo on his Telegram channel to mark the moment and stated that Israel would do everything to safeguard its citizens and that music would prevail in the end.
Early on the morning of February 1, Leva Bi-2 described the Thai sentence as surprising and disproportionate. He explained that while the group respected the laws, the subsequent events were illogical and felt like punishment beyond reason. Bortnik also said he no longer plans to live in Russia and expressed gratitude to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for helping the members. He accused the Russian consulate of detaining the group in Thailand and hinted at political involvement behind the scenes.
According to him, there were claims of a Russian trace surrounding the case. He recalled comments from a Russian official suggesting that the Bi-2 members would face consequences in Russia for their actions. The conversation extended to a deputy of the Russian State Duma who had previously used stark rhetoric about the group and threatened their legal fate.
In response to the detention and deportation, the Russian Foreign Ministry faced scrutiny in several reports. A Bloomberg agency piece attributed to unnamed sources claimed that Russian authorities urged officials in friendly states to act against Russian artists who opposed the current government, framing the actions as part of a broader political stance. The State Department in turn commented that those who support or fund the Kiev administration should face legal consequences. A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, later stated that Bi-2 declined consular assistance in Thailand and argued that Russian diplomats acted within established procedures. She also asserted that Bi-2 members refused to engage with consular representatives and that no formal request had been made to foreign institutions on their behalf.
Questions arose about whether the turmoil was over. The same deputy who had issued earlier threats commented again that the artists might still face detention or deportation threats elsewhere. A separate Telegram report suggested that the band could encounter difficulties regarding a planned concert in Dubai on February 17, as officials from Russia and the United Arab Emirates discussed whether to permit the event. The channel claimed the organizers might not receive permission, or the concert could be canceled altogether.
Previously, Bi-2 faced arrest in Thailand after their January 25 concert, with local authorities citing doubts about the legality of their concert activities. Each member received a fine of 3,000 baht and was held in Phuket immigration detention. It was stated by the concert organizers that the detention stemmed from visa issues, with the company bearing responsibility rather than the artists themselves.
Yegor Bortnik holds exclusive Israeli citizenship and was deported to Israel on January 30. A day later, the remaining musicians were released from detention and moved to Tel Aviv. The situation surrounding Bi-2 continues to be debated in political and media circles, with various actors offering differing explanations and warnings about potential future consequences.