Russia Appears to Be Deploying 75-Year-Old Tanks to Ukraine

[Model35mech]

25. Question 4 Tank experts: Is the T-55 Amphibious?

I am asking because I found this sentence about Israeli captured T-55s (which were designated 'Tiran' by Israel):

"The Tiran was used in the operation “Raviv” on the 8th & 9th of September 1969, which was an amphibious raid across the Suez channel as well as the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the southern front, against Egyptian T-54/55." https://tanknutdave.com/the-russian-t-55-medium-tank/

I know from TV documentaries on tanks that the Russians produced medium amphibious tanks late in WWII, I don't know if they were variants of T54 and T55 which IIRC weren't produced until after WWII ended.

I do know that in the past month there have been reports that Russia has hauled out of mothballs BMPs from the 60's that are lightly armored and amphibious. Just wondering if there is more to Russia's decision than low availability of contemporary heavy battle tanks. Amphibious armor would clearly be useful considering the many rivers needing crossed between Donetsk and Kyiv along the upper Dniper valley