Bears operate around FL360. When they came down the North Sea and/or around Ireland they'd just fly straight through the airways/air routes. I've had them miss airliners by a few hundred feet.
I can vividly recall one gaggle of 2 x Bear B, Q1 & Q2, Tansor, the Ramstein Battle Flight and the Danes heading down the North Sea towards a 747 on one of the upper air routes and calling the LATCC controller to let him know the Bears were at the same level on a collision course.
"Who', he asked indignantly, "is controlling them?'
"I'm not sure", I replied, "But try Moscow"......