News reports here in Ireland are suggesting the Bears were intercepted to the west of Ireland by RAF Typhoons and followed from there.
No indication of at what range or whether the RAF jets transited Irish airspace and if so at what speed.
On RTÉ radio this morning an "expert" claimed the VVS aircraft crossed the transatlantic routes without ATC contact and without active transponders while the RAF planes had transponders on at all times.
JAS