Russia has blocked the release of a film about the deportations of ethnic groups during World War II, calling it a falsification of history.

The Russian-made historical drama shot in Chechnya details the deportation of the Chechen and Ingush ethnic groups from the North Caucasus to Central Asia in the winter of 1944, as they were accused of lacking loyalty to the state.

A Russian culture ministry official condemned the film as "historical falsification" in a letter shown to AFP by the film's scriptwriter and producer, Ruslan Kokanayev.