I sell doomsday bunkers & Russia's nuke threat is fueling spike in demand (2024)

A COMPANY that sells custom-made doomsday bunkers to the rich and paranoid says business is booming amid Putin's threats to start a nuclear war over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Gary Lynch, the general manager of Texas-based Rising S Company, told The Sun that demand for its survival shelters has soared more than "1000%" since Thursday - the day Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Speaking from a hardware store where he was buying supplies in bulk to keep up with the surging demand, Lynch said: "Business has increased astronomically over the last few days.

"Typically, I'll sell between two and six shelters a month - and usually winter is a quiet time for us.

"But I sold five units alone on Thursday, and I've sold two more already today - there's no telling how many more [orders] we will get.

"The phone hasn't stopped ringing and we've been sending out so many quotes,” added Lynch.

The five units sold by Rising S Company on the day of the Russian invasion ranged in price between $70,000 to $240,000.

The company's bunkers start at a base of $40,000 and can reach multi-million-dollar sums, depending on the client's wants and needs.

'IT'S EVERYWHERE'

Interest, Lynch said, has been pouring in from across not only the US but the rest of the world too.

“I've gotten inquiries from Italy. I've gotten an inquiry from the United Kingdom, from Denmark, from Japan, from Canada, from the USA - and that’s just from over the weekend.

“The interest isn’t just isolated to the US, it’s everywhere.”

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Lynch said the main concerns of his customers and those calling in for quotes seems to be the idea that Russia may begin invading countries beyond Ukraine, forcing Western allied forces into military action, and starting a “fully-fledged world war.”

“And they’re justified to be fearful of that,” Lynch said. “Just look at what’s going on.

“[Vladimir Putin] is threatening nuclear war, saying it would be something the world has never seen.

“The world has seen Hiroshima,” he continued, “and if what they are threatening is worse than that then, by all means, we should all be worried.”

FAIL TO PREPARE, PREPARE TO FAIL

Rising S Company, which has been in business for the last 20 years, occasionally experiences hikes in business in the wake of nuclear threats or catastrophic natural disasters, Lynch said, but the response to the Ukraine conflict has been somewhat unprecedented, he added.

While doomsday preppers are often disregarded as paranoid, gun-toting, right-wing older white men, Lynch said the frightening ongoings in Eastern Europe should be a warning sign to us all.

“Don’t make fun of or criticize people that have valid fears,” Lynch said, speaking directly to any critics. “They want nothing more than to protect their loved ones in a terrible, terrible time.

“The only way you can prepare yourself to fail is by not preparing,” he added.

For those unable to afford a bomb shelter or underground bunker, Lynch said there’s a number of other measures someone can take to increase their chances of survival in the event of a nuclear war or another potentially world-ending disaster.

John Ramey, a Silicon Valley doomsday prepper and founder of The Prepared, previously outlined to The Sun a number of those measures an individual can take to safeguard themselves and their families from harm.

Curiously, Ramey advises any prospective preppers to “ignore the extreme stuff like nuclear bunkers” and start small, focusing on what their biggest risks are, which is typically their personal health and their finances.

"Once those bases are covered, such as an emergency fund with three months worth of expenses, you must look to ensure you're able to survive in your home without any outside utilities or help for at least two weeks.

From there, Ramey suggests building a "bug-out bag" - a bag packed with survival supplies such as food, water, medications, radios, and flashlights - in the event of an emergency that requires rapid evacuation.

Ramey says all responsible members of society should begin prepping in some capacity, likening preparing for an emergency to buying homeowner's insurance or car insurance.

Where many Americans buy home insurance in the event their home is burned down in a fire, or buy car insurance in the event of a crash, Ramey says the same logic should be applied to preparing for potential catastrophes, likening do so to keeping a "rainy day fund."

UNDERGROUND 'FORTRESSES'

But for those with the disposable income to splurge on building a bunker in their backyard, Rising S Company offers to custom-build steel structures 11 feet underground, which they say can save lives in the event of natural disasters, nuclear attacks, and other doomsday events.

Customers in the past have included celebrities, professional athletes, tech moguls, and politicians, the company says.

According to Rising S Company’s website, they’ve also been shipping safety shelters to Ukraine for both the nation’s armed forces and its people, helping to keep them safe amid a barrage of Russian artillery fire.

“Since late 2019 Rising S Company was contracted to create multiple quick-up shelters that can be built, then taken down and moved quickly,” a post on the site reads.

“These shelters not only protect the Ukrainian forces from the Russian attack led by Putin but can also help when positioning and strength is needed quickly and efficiently.”

CONFLICT CONTINUES

Russian strikes pounded the central square in Ukraine’s second-largest city and other civilian sites Tuesday in what the country’s president condemned as a blatant campaign of terror by Moscow.

“Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed.

Meanwhile, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced on the capital of Kyiv in what the West feared was a bid to topple Ukraine’s government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces pressed their attack on other towns and cities across the country, including at or near the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Tuesday marks day six of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War 2.

As the conflict continues, Russia finds itself increasingly isolated on the global political stage, with its economy sent plunging into disarray by a series of tough sanctions bestowed upon the nation by Western leaders.

PUTIN'S NUKE THREATS

In a televised statement on Sunday, Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on alert, citing “aggressive statements” from NATO countries.

This is the second time Putin has alluded to Russia's nuclear arsenal while effectively warning the West to back off.

In a statement at the beginning of the invasion, Putin said anyone who tried to "hinder us" would face "such consequences that you have never encountered in your history."

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Fears that a nuclear conflict could erupt is a large part of the reason the US and its NATO allies have so far refrained from sending any troops into Ukraine.

President Joe Biden on Monday sought to assuage any concerns that a nuclear war could break out, telling a reporter “no” when asked if Americans should be worried.