(CNN) Russia's Vladimir Putin ordered the downing of a passenger plane that had reportedly been overtaken by hijackers planning to target the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, the President said in a new film.

In a two-hour documentary titled "Putin" that was posted on social media on Sunday, the Russian President said he was told about the impending attack moments before the Games were due to start.

But the threat turned out to be a false alarm, Putin said, and the plane was not shot down.

The documentary's release comes amid a wave of flattering pre-election coverage of the President, and details moments intended to show off Putin's heroism. In addition to the episode with the plane, Putin also said in the film that his helicopter reportedly came under fire over Chechnya in 2000, according to the state-run Sputnik news agency.

Russians go to the polls on March 18.

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