Non-EU Spouse Travelling Alone in Europe

[igraev]

I am an Italian citizen, resident in the UK. My wife has a Residence Card she received in the UK as EEA family member and we often traveled to Italy (and other countries) together without any problems and without her getting Schengen visa.

This time we are planning to go to Italy together, but I will have to leave earlier without her and she will travel a few days later on her own from Italy back to the UK. Can she do it? I assume she'll have plenty of problems at the Italian border when she shows her Russian passport without a valid Schengen visa (but with a EEA Family Member Residence Card) and will try to explain to them how she got to Italy (together with her Italian husband who is now gone back to the UK).

Any advice would be highly appreciated!