"Russian football hooligans" asked by film producers to put on masks and balaclavas for the interview
"The film titled Russia's Hooligan Army shot and broadcast by BBC Two with the Russia-hosted 2018 FIFA World Cup in mind is quite shocking. One gets the impression that its goal is to sow fear in British society and warn the fans against travelling to Russia," the embassy said in a statement.
The documentary is based on "edited footage" of clashes involving "violent Russian fans" in Marseille, according to the embassy.
"The filmmakers from the government-funded channel [BBC] did their best to discredit Russia and the forthcoming [2018] World Cup," it said, adding that a similar campaign had been launched prior to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
The embassy also noted that people "prone to violence exist in every society."
"There's no exception to that, as history of European championships shows. In Russia, ensuring security at the World Cup is a top priority, given the past experience of other European countries," the statement added.
In the description of the BBC2 documentary released on Thursday, the channel calls it "a shocking look at Russian football firms, from the thugs who terrorised Marseille to the next generation preparing for the 2018 World Cup by arranging brutal forest fights."
Ahead of the release, one Russian football fan featured in the documentary told RT that his words had been "grossly misinterpreted" by the British press.
The former leader of a football fan group called the Spartak Gladiators, Vasiliy Stepanov, who appeared in the film as "Vasily the Killer," says his words were misconstrued in the film and are now being twisted by British media outlets.
Yes, I did participate in the film, but I am amazed at how they twist my words in the media now," Stepanov told RT.
"I haven't seen the movie itself, though. I've only read an article about it in (the British newspaper) the Guardian, which I call a 'smear campaign.' The part about 'Putin's military forces in Marseille' is a barefaced lie. I'd never say that. I knew who I was talking to, and what kind of answers they were looking for."
He also said the documentary's filmmaker, Alex Stockley von Statzer, who spoke to him via an interpreter, came across as a "sincere person." Stepanov also says he was assured that his words would be translated correctly without being misconstrued.
After the Euro 2016 match between Russia and England at Marseille's Velodrome stadium was over, Russian fans broke into the arena's English zone and attacked the British fans. The fighting then poured out onto the streets of the French city, continuing the violence that had also marred the build-up to the match.
As a result, the UEFA fined Russia €150,000 (£119,000/$168,000) and warned that it would be thrown out of the Euro 2016 tournament if the trouble continued. England was also threatened with disqualification because of fan violence, but was never formally charged by the UEFA.
'We thought it was a joke'
Another fan featured in the BBC documentary told RT that the filmmakers misinterpreted their sarcastic jokes, presenting them as facts.
The young man was filmed after a football match in the city of Orel, 360 kilometers south-southwest of Moscow.
"I agreed to the interview, but I never thought that it would turn out into such a provocation against Russia. We didn't take it seriously. It was more like a joke," he said.
The fan also revealed that the BBC journalists specially asked the supporters to put on masks and balaclavas ahead of the interview "probably, to make it scarier."
'Film feels like hype'
RT went to London pubs to ask the British fans if the BBC documentary was enough to deter them from travelling to Russia for the FIFA World Cup next year.
One of the pub-goers said that the film felt like propaganda, with his friend adding that "right now it's just an attempt to create some hype."
"We've got enough hooligans around the world. It's not just Russia. It's not just England. But there's a lot about Russia that would make me oppose going to the World Cup anyway," one of the fans said.
Another man, to whom the BBC footage was shown, suggested that "this isn't really the majority of Russians. I think that Russia would have some sort of the security there."
Russian fans make welcome video
In response to the BBC film, Russian fans have recorded an address to their British counterparts, welcoming them to the World Cup and reminding them that all of the English Premier League top teams have visited Russia in recent years, and no serious incidents between the fans were reported.
"We'll meet you like relatives. You won't have to pay for anything, but you won't be able to leave without having a few shots with us," the Russian fans said.
The documentary is scheduled was broadcast on BBC 2 on Thursday at 9pm (GMT).
Comment: The relentless and almost surreal drive of the Western Empire to demonize and propagandize Russia continues.