Russia will always be able to find ways to import terminals in violation of export sanctions. That sucks, but it is what it is. But it's up to Starlink whether or not those imported terminals do anything more interesting than just bolting an expensive and heavy suitcase to a drone.

It kind of feels like the US should nationalize starlink.

actual governance at Starlink? how do you make that happen?

i know china is aiding and abetting them, *discreetly* of course

But are there any legal mechanisms to prevent it on the base station side

I mean, 50 USC § 1705(d)(1) provides a 10-yr statute of limitation on enforcement actions. So... this reporting would cause me to lose some sleep if I worked for Starlink.

Requiring periodic identification from the units user and cutting off unidentified/spoofed units is a start. It's pretty easy to shut off/locate stolen cell phones remotely, that capability should be a requirement for "dual use" equipment